TV - Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) And Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) End Standoff Regarding Video Streaming Service
Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) have finally come into an agreement regarding their long standing faceoff regarding video streaming services by making their services and devices to work together. YouTube beginning today will be on Fire TV while Prime Video will find its way to Android TV and Chromecast.
Cross platform video streaming service enhanced
As from July 9 the YouTube app will be available on Fire TV across the world nearly a year after Google took it off the platform. YouTube Kids and YouTube V will be made available on the Amazon Fire TV devices towards the end of the year. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick Basic Edition, Fire TV Cube and Fire TV Edition smart TVs will be supported by the YouTube app form today.
Google will also benefit with its devices that include android TV and Chromecast devices gaining support of Amazon’s Prime Video. Going forward users of Chromecast and Chromecast Built in will be able to access more than 2,000 apps for games and content straight to their TV from the Prime Video app.
Owners of Chromecast Ultra will equally get access to 4,000 title library of Prime Video at no extra cost as part of the new collaboration between the companies. However to get access to Prime Video through Chromecast one will need to have the latest Prime Video and higher than Android 5.0 or iOS 10.1 on their devices.
End of impasse between Google and Amazon
The agreement between the tech giants was arrived at after years of public bickering and negotiations. The spat between the companies began four years ago when amazon removed Chromecast devices from its offering stating that its video services were not available on the device. However in December last year they again began selling the Chromecast devices.
The agreement has been expected after several years of differences regarding video streaming services. This was expected after Amazon implemented YouTube on the Echo Show. On may the companies agreed to move from their past differences by agreeing to put consumer interest first.