Apple TV won't get Amazon Prime Video until Apple agrees to 'acceptable business terms'
Apple TV owners will have to wait until Apple presents Amazon with "acceptable business terms" before the e-commerce giant releases a long awaited, and highly anticipated, tvOS app for serving up Amazon Prime Video content.
Speaking at Re/code's Code Conference on Tuesday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos suggested Prime Video will remain off devices made by Apple -- or any other company marketing comparable set-top streaming products -- until amicable money models are agreed upon.
"[Y]ou can always get the video player on the device," Bezos told The Verge, adding that getting "acceptable business terms" is another story. When asked whether Apple's customary 30 percent take of all App Store purchases is a factor in negotiations, Bezos said that "private business decisions should stay private."
Amazon Prime customers have long clamored for an official Apple TV app to watch videos on the big screen. Hopes were lifted in November when an Amazon customer service representative said development of an Instant Video app for tvOS was already well underway. While the app has yet to launch, it is more than likely that Amazon has indeed prepared for such inevitabilities. Only Bezos is unwilling to open that door.
Amazon debuted its own streaming solution in the Fire TV in early 2014, followed by a Google Chromecast competitor called Fire TV Stick a few months later.
More recently, Amazon last October removed both Apple TV and Chromecast products from its digital shelves citing potential customer confusion over which streaming devices support Amazon Prime Video. This would suggest Amazon is prepared to return Apple TV hardware to availability if and when a Prime Video app goes live on the tvOS App Store, but judging by Bezos' comments today, it looks like Prime members have a long wait ahead in either case.
Speaking at Re/code's Code Conference on Tuesday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos suggested Prime Video will remain off devices made by Apple -- or any other company marketing comparable set-top streaming products -- until amicable money models are agreed upon.
"[Y]ou can always get the video player on the device," Bezos told The Verge, adding that getting "acceptable business terms" is another story. When asked whether Apple's customary 30 percent take of all App Store purchases is a factor in negotiations, Bezos said that "private business decisions should stay private."
Amazon Prime customers have long clamored for an official Apple TV app to watch videos on the big screen. Hopes were lifted in November when an Amazon customer service representative said development of an Instant Video app for tvOS was already well underway. While the app has yet to launch, it is more than likely that Amazon has indeed prepared for such inevitabilities. Only Bezos is unwilling to open that door.
Amazon debuted its own streaming solution in the Fire TV in early 2014, followed by a Google Chromecast competitor called Fire TV Stick a few months later.
More recently, Amazon last October removed both Apple TV and Chromecast products from its digital shelves citing potential customer confusion over which streaming devices support Amazon Prime Video. This would suggest Amazon is prepared to return Apple TV hardware to availability if and when a Prime Video app goes live on the tvOS App Store, but judging by Bezos' comments today, it looks like Prime members have a long wait ahead in either case.
Comments
Translation: Yes.
I think Amazon sees everyone and everything as competition.
Pay $50 for the Roku stick, get everything, or pay $140 for an Apple TV and get some things.
So far I've subscribed to Netflix, Hulu and HBO, because they've got apps. That's revenue in their pocket, and nothing for Amazon. See what happens when you try and throw tantrums over very reasonable retailer fees? The public doesn't care and you don't get any more subscribers.
It would be nice to have a dedicated Amazon Video app on my Apple TV, but it's not that big of a deal to me, and it doesn't stop me from watching Amazon Prime Videos on my Apple TV.
If I need to watch something on Amazon Prime Video, I simply stream Amazon Prime Video from my iPad and sometimes from my iPhone to the Apple TV, and it works fine.
I've had Netflix for years, and recently got Amazon Prime, mostly because I got the subscription for pretty cheap, and I do order things from their website often, and free, quick shipping is a good thing to have.
having said that, the FireTV Stick imho nails it for features/usability/interface AND price (without compromise) which is why I don't have the latest apple TV yet.
Amazon is 100% about providing more and more ways to get you to buy more and more stuff through Amazon. I'd imagine Bezos' biggest ask for Apple is getting the pervasive purchasing model of Amazon integrated into Apple TV so you are never more than One Click away from placing another order with Amazon through Apple TV. Maybe he wants Amazon special offers surfaced at the top menu level of Apple TV and Amazon integration through the Siri function on the Apple TV remote. Amazon is genius at finding new ways for you to order stuff so I'd imagine they'd want more control over the shopping experience within Apple TV. It's similar problem to what we have with the half baked integration of Amazon Kindle purchases on iOS, but without the ability to redirect Kindle purchases to a browser. If Apple TV had an integrated web browser, which I would really like, I'm sure Amazon would be quite happy to work around the integration issues like they do on iOS. I like Apple and I like Amazon, but I also believe Amazon instigated and got a sweetheart backdoor deal from the US Gov around the iBooks debacle so I can understand Apple being more than reluctant to give Amazon a free ride on Apple's ecosystem.
Netflix has Amazon beat on this so I'm not missing the app for my apple TV and the sooner Apple buys Netflix the better!
... though I am looking forward to TopGear II on Amazon, but I assume they will promote that within the app, so I'll not have to go searching!
I think Amazon Prime Video would be a pollutant on the Apple TV.
( I have seen it and it is utter crap right now. )
Next thing you know Bezos will call his DOJ buddies and accuse Apple of colluding like he did with iBooks. Stay away from that a-hole. Apple TV is getting a ton of great content and games from elsewhere.