Overview
Android TV subscriptions are managed in Google Play Console, the same platform used for Android mobile. You create a subscription under your Android TV app, then paste the Product ID (SKU) into the Strimm dashboard. This guide covers the full setup and how to test purchases before going live.
Step 1 — Create a subscription in Google Play Console
1.1 Sign in to Google Play Console
Go to play.google.com/console and sign in with your Google developer account.
1.2 Open your Android TV app
Select your Android TV app from the app list.
1.3 Go to Subscriptions
In the left sidebar, under Monetize, click Subscriptions.
1.4 Create a new subscription
Click Create subscription. Fill in:
- Product ID — a unique identifier you choose (e.g.
com.yourbrand.androidtv.monthly). Write this down — you will paste it into Strimm. - Name — the display name visible to subscribers
- Description — a short description of what the subscription includes
Click Create.
1.5 Add a base plan
After creating the subscription, add a base plan:
- Click Add base plan
- Choose a billing period (e.g. Monthly, Yearly)
- Set the price for each region — you can set a base price and let Google auto-convert for other countries, or set prices manually
- Click Save, then Activate to make the base plan active
1.6 Activate the subscription
Once your base plan is set and activated, click Activate on the subscription itself. Google Play requires your app to be on at least the Internal Testing track before subscriptions are available to testers.
1.7 Note your Product ID
The Product ID from step 1.4 is what you enter in the Strimm dashboard (e.g. com.yourbrand.androidtv.monthly).
Step 2 — Add the Product ID in the Strimm Dashboard
- In Strimm Studio, go to App Settings and open your Android TV app (click the gear icon)
- Scroll to Paid Subscription and check Require subscription to watch
- Enter the Product ID in the Google Play Product ID field
- Click Update to save
Step 3 — Testing before release
Google Play provides a license testing environment so you can test subscriptions without real charges.
3.1 Add a license tester
- In Google Play Console, go to Setup → License Testing
- Add the Gmail address of the account you will use for testing
- Set the license response to RESPOND_NORMALLY
- Click Save changes
License testers can purchase subscriptions for free — no real charge is made and the purchase is processed as a real transaction for testing purposes.
3.2 Publish to Internal Testing track
- In Google Play Console, go to Testing → Internal Testing
- Create a release and upload your Android TV APK or AAB
- Under Testers, add the Gmail address of your test account
- Save and roll out the release
3.3 Install and test on the device
- On the Android TV device, sign in with the tester Gmail account
- Accept the internal testing invite (you will receive an email with an opt-in link — open it on the device or any browser signed in with the tester account)
- Install the app from the Google Play Store on the device
- Open the app and trigger the subscription flow — the purchase will go through with no real charge for license testers
Important notes
- The Product ID in Strimm must exactly match what you created in Google Play Console — including capitalization.
- Your app must be on an active track (Internal Testing or higher) before subscriptions can be tested or purchased.
- Google requires a Payments merchant account to be set up before subscriptions can go live. Set this up in Play Console under Setup → Payments profile.
- Subscriptions only go live after your app is published and approved through Google Play review.
- License tester purchases renew on an accelerated schedule (e.g. monthly renews every 5 minutes) so you can test renewal flows quickly without waiting a full billing period.