The war for your attention just became a bit more divided.
Bloomberg reported Thursday that Amazon’s online store will stop selling Apple TV and Google Chromecast devices.
Why would Amazon do this? Simple: Google and Apple don’t offer Amazon’s video product on their devices, so Amazon’s not offering those devices on its store.
“It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion,” Amazon reportedly said in an email to third parties who sell on the site’s marketplace.
Bloomberg reports that Amazon will continue to sell some third-party devices. Roku, Xbox and PlayStation are all safe, since they let customers access (and spend money on) Amazon’s Prime Video product. Amazon’s also continuing to sell its own streaming device, the Fire TV — obviously.
Perhaps the move isn’t so surprising. Fresh off significant wins at this year’s Emmy Awards, Amazon is bolstering its reputation as an entertainment provider. It’s only reasonable that the company wouldn’t want to offer streaming devices from rival hardware makers that don’t allow viewers access to Amazon’s original programming like “Transparent” and “Catastrophe.”
Consumers can mark this as yet another example of a fracturing media landscape. Also on Thursday, Amazon announced that it had gained exclusive streaming rights to three CBS shows. If you want to stream new episodes of “Under the Dome,” you’ll need access to Prime Video. Similar things have already happened in the music business: This summer, Dr. Dre made Apple the official home for his anticipated new album.
In other words, the idea of a one-stop shop for entertainment is quickly fading. Not only are device makers blocking access to certain content, now a major vendor has blocked access to certain devices. The bottom line is essentially a pain in the butt: If you want to buy a new Apple TV, you’ll have to go somewhere other than Amazon. If you want to watch Amazon’s “Transparent,” you’ll need a device other than Apple TV.
As Variety reported soon after the news broke, Amazon theoretically could build apps for these rival devices. But why bother when it can goad consumers into buying its devices?
So, make sure you figure out what shows your family and friends like now: We have a feeling the shopping headaches will be a little worse this holiday season.
H/T Gizmodo
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