Bloomberg:
Amazon.com Inc. will stop selling media-streaming devices from Google Inc. and Apple Inc. that aren’t easily compatible with its video service, the latest example of the company using its clout to promote products that fit with its own retailing strategy.
The Seattle-based Web retailer sent an e-mail to its marketplace sellers that it will stop selling the Apple TV and Google’s Chromecast since those devices don’t “interact well” with Prime Video. No new listings for the products will be allowed and posting of existing inventory will be removed Oct. 29, Amazon said.
Interesting, if foolhardy, move by Amazon. They want to push sales of their own product so much, they are willing to give up the revenue generated by the more popular competitors products. I bet this means we won’t be seeing Amazon’s Prime Video on the Apple TV anytime soon.
Revenue is never a problem for Amazon.
This is jerk move by Amazon! Instead of writing for every device like Pandora they just want to ban some of the most important tech today!
Looks like the Amazon online rivals will take great advantage of this jerk move by Amazon!
“I bet this means we won’t be seeing Amazon’s Prime Video on the Apple TV anytime soon.”
That would be a foolhardy move on Apple’s part if they were to block that. Yes, it would hurt Amazon a little bit, but it would put Apple in a very awkward position of looking spiteful, monopolistic as well as making the Apple TV less attractive to people who might belong to Amazon Prime. Now if Amazon did not create a app for Amazon Prime Video for Apple TV, then I say release the hounds of war and have some of the crap dumped on them as was dumped on Apple with the e-books chapter. Except, in this case Amazon would deserve it.
Just a thought
If Amazon declines to create a video app for the Apple TV, then I’ll be watching a little more closely if my ongoing Prime subscription is worth it.
I signed up for the all-you-can-eat two day shipping.
Not a video service. Not a book lending service that I can’t use because it only serves actual Kindles and not the Kindle app on iOS or Android.
Amazon better tread carefully. Trying to slight Apple shouldn’t turn into slighting their customers.
Not to mention they just ran the Amazon Prime sale for $69 signup. I know my parents signed up, at the discount, so they could also have access to the Prime shows. They were watching via airplay from iPad to ATV. I’m sure this would apply as well to countless others who signed up. So hopefully Amazon doesn’t think about pulling the plug on the Prime App for iOS. I think this is more posturing though. At this point the new ATV is not out. So in reality this could be Amazon pulling support for the current ATV, which does not support Prime at all, but will embrace the New ATV, which they will have a Prime App/channel. Same as does the Roku, Xbox, etc. It also gives them some news coverage when they state that Prime shows are avail on the New ATV. This in turn helps push sales of new ATV’s on Amazon cause its the only option. This then leave Googles products out if that’s the case.
I’m actually sure Amazon would love if Apple would let them make an Amazon app for the Apple TV. But that would compete with iTunes sales, or maybe it’s Apple wants 30% of all revenue, either way, I can’t really see how it’s Amazon’s fault.
There is no Amazon streaming app on Apple TV, but there is on countless smart TVs, Roku and other streaming devices. Why do you assume it’s Amazon that doesn’t want to make the app. Perhaps it’s Apple that doesn’t want it.
Prices are lower online at Sam’s Club anyway — of late I’ve noticed that Amazon has been raising its prices on office supplies.
I think it’s obvious Apple won’t let Amazon be on Apple TV because Amazon lets you purchase single episodes or movies, unlike Netflix or Hulu.
I say good riddance. I never felt as though buying Apple products from Amazon made very much sense anyway, especially where comparing varying configurations of the same product were concerned.
I’m only referring to the upcoming Apple TV, not the current one. How new channels get added to the old Apple TV is unknown to me, so I make no assumptions either way.
Presuming the app store rules will be similar to the iOS app store (where Amazon does have a video app), there would be nothing preventing Amazon from making an app. This move to not carry the device at all worries me of intent on Amazon’s part.
On the positive side: This could be Amazon only wanting to sell the version of Apple TV that could run an Amazon Video app, the upcoming one, and the “ban” only extends to the old Apple TV.
Amazon absolutely can’t afford to create a Prime Video app for Apple TV — their margins are far below the 30% that Apple would demand.
Hopefully they’ll still create an app, but just not have any way of purchasing content in-app (i.e., you do it from your laptop and then it appears on the Apple TV), but I very much doubt it. I wonder if they’d have made the Kindle reader app if the 30% rule had been there from day 1?
Apple charge 30% for any in-app purchase of digital content. 30% is far more than Amazon make on the sale, and that means they’d lose money each time you bought/rented a film or tv show. That’s why they can’t realistically make the app for Apple TV.
Amazon already has iPad and iPhone apps in their Apple Apps stores. So this is a Jerk mode by Amazon
Really then you never download the iPad or iPhone Amazon apps!
“Realistically,” they can still make the app. They just won’t be able to make sales through the app…
Just like the Amazon Video app on iOS. Just like the Kindle app on iOS. Just like the ComiXology app on iOS. All apps owned & operated by Amazon.
Unless I’m living in another reality, it looks not only realistic, but absolutely certain that Amazon can make an app that just plays their media, but not process sales of that media.