Apple TV won't get Amazon Prime Video until Apple agrees to 'acceptable business terms'

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited June 2016
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.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 100
    EsquireCatsEsquireCats Posts: 1,268member
    Since Apple doesn't charge developers a cent to have their video subscription services on AppleTV, we can see Amazon's idea of "acceptable business terms", involves either handing over iTunes account information or paying Amazon a stipend. 
    macsince1988jay-tchiajkichlinejr_bnetmagetdknoxzroger73jbdragonronn
  • Reply 2 of 100
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    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."

    Translation: Yes.
    mdriftmeyersingularityjr_bronnai46
  • Reply 3 of 100
    I don't care for Amazon at all. Their site is a mess, their labor practices are shady, Bezos seems like a spaz. Not gonna wade through all the Amazon BS for their original programming. 
    calijay-tlatifbpjkichlineradarthekatmwhitejbdragonronndaven
  • Reply 4 of 100
    stevenozstevenoz Posts: 314member
    Roku boxes are cheap. I have both a Roku and an Apple TV. I use the Roku when I want to watch an Amazon Prime movie. So I have the best of both worlds. Excellent!
    edited June 2016 cnocbuislprescottronnai46bbh
  • Reply 5 of 100
    lowededwookielowededwookie Posts: 1,143member
    Netflix works damn well here in NZ. What's Amazon's real excuse?
    ronnai46igorsky
  • Reply 6 of 100
    I've got an Amazon Prime app on my iPad. What's the diff? 

    I think Amazon sees everyone and everything as competition. 
    jay-tlatifbpsupadav03jbdragonronnalphamanai46nolamacguyigorskybancho
  • Reply 7 of 100
    schlackschlack Posts: 719member
    work on this apple, only reason i will not yet buy an apple tv is bc it lacks amazon prime content...would really like to see this happen
    mike1
  • Reply 8 of 100
    'Acceptable business terms' says the company that charges me 55% on my book sales.
    calinasseraefotoformattrollkillerjay-t[Deleted User]chiaslprescottjr_bjkichline
  • Reply 9 of 100
    koopkoop Posts: 337member
    Roku seems to be cutting better deals since they have no ulterior motives as a small company. Until this changes, Apple TV isn't the future of TV anymore than Roku is the future of TV and Roku seems to have the edge so far.

    Pay $50 for the Roku stick, get everything, or pay $140 for an Apple TV and get some things. 


    cnocbuisingularitytechprod1gyindieshack
  • Reply 10 of 100
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    I bought the Amazon stick when it launched for 25 bucks so I get my Amazon streams but frankly I'd tell Amazon to take a flying leap if I was Apple.  Their Prime Video is "ok" but my household values HBO Now more than PV.
    freerangeronnalphaman
  • Reply 11 of 100
    redefilerredefiler Posts: 323member
    And I won't think of subscribing to Amazon Prime until they offer an Apple TV app.

    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.
    latifbpradarthekatdamonfronn
  • Reply 12 of 100
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,309member
    Not that I care, but Bezos could have made this statement at the release of the Apple TV, which Amazon won't sell, but then he would have given up his home field advantage on Prime hardware sales. Me, I can watch Netflix (which I pay directly to Netflix) on my Apple TV 4 so I'm not seeing the barrier to entry for streaming Prime; then again, I'm not interested in downloads from Amazon either.
    edited June 2016 latifbpdamonfsuddenly newton
  • Reply 13 of 100
    What acceptable business terms are the torrent sites giving you, Jeff?
    latifbpai46
  • Reply 14 of 100
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    I have Netflix and Amazon Prime. 

    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.
    connectedlivingnolamacguy
  • Reply 15 of 100
    koop said:
    Roku seems to be cutting better deals since they have no ulterior motives as a small company. Until this changes, Apple TV isn't the future of TV anymore than Roku is the future of TV and Roku seems to have the edge so far.

    Pay $50 for the Roku stick, get everything, or pay $140 for an Apple TV and get some things. 


    you could say the same of a $100 android phone and a $600 iphone. having owned several roku's and a few appleTVs, I'd certainly pay the extra $90 for the interface and usability/features the appleTV offers. Price isn't always everything.

    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.
  • Reply 16 of 100
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    Since Apple doesn't charge developers a cent to have their video subscription services on AppleTV, we can see Amazon's idea of "acceptable business terms", involves either handing over iTunes account information or paying Amazon a stipend. 
    That is if the subscription services is free. If not, then Apple take a 30% cut in the subscription IF they are signed up via the App.
    mike1supadav03
  • Reply 17 of 100
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    Amazon has no room to talk about "acceptable business practices"
    latifbpdamonfmonstrosityronnai46pacificfilm
  • Reply 18 of 100
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,328member
    koop said:
    Roku seems to be cutting better deals since they have no ulterior motives as a small company. Until this changes, Apple TV isn't the future of TV anymore than Roku is the future of TV and Roku seems to have the edge so far.

    Pay $50 for the Roku stick, get everything, or pay $140 for an Apple TV and get some things. 


    Everything for $50? Does Roku support AirPlay from iOS and OS X devices, streaming of iTunes content including movies and music, Apple Music, iTunes Match, and Photos integration? My Apple TV is hooked into my home theatre systems and is the primary and best music playback system in my house. I didn't realize Roku provided all of these tightly integrated Apple ecosystem functions for only $50.... hmmm. 

    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. 
    edited June 2016 supadav03ronnnolamacguypacificfilm
  • Reply 19 of 100
    gremlingremlin Posts: 64member
    I get Amazon Video as part of my Prime membership, which I get half price as a student.  AV is hopelessly difficult to discover film or TV, and they discreetly hide inclusive paid content with the free so you could end up paying to watch something.  Turning off the paid content only lasts for that session (on my TV), so the next time you turn on the TV it reappears again.

    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! :)
    firelock
  • Reply 20 of 100
    applesauce007applesauce007 Posts: 1,698member
    Apple TV users are not missing anything on Amazon Prime Video.
    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.
    edited June 2016 jr_blatifbpteejay2012monstrosityai46
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