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Amazon for years just had an app in their store called "YouTube.com" which opened YouTube.com/tv in a webview. Worked absolutely fine, and was the preferred method until Google finally let them have an apk that didn't rely on Play Services.

I mean, the fact it was the preferred method until an app came along does rather show that it wasn't actually very good.

You'd think that, but YT engineers solved this challenge using two methods:

1. Build an efficient "browser" (HTML5 runtime) that can run a web app.

2. Write a webapp specifically targeted towards TVs, includes 10 foot interface, etc.

Source: https://cobalt.dev/

Could Roku start distributing New Pipe[0] or similar? It works ok-ish on my android TVs.

[0]https://newpipe.net/

Google would probably find ways to obstruct any of Roku's alternative YouTube clients, just as Google disabled Microsoft's YouTube client on Windows Phone years ago:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/appsblog/2013/aug/15/...

Your personal account can get suspended for abusing the service, like when sidestepping their official apps to download videos.