Apple TV 4K Listing Appears on Amazon as Prime Video Launch Nears
Nearly two years after Amazon stopped selling the Apple TV, a listing for the Apple TV 4K has been spotted on the website by 9to5Mac.
The Apple TV 4K is currently listed as out of stock, but the fact that it has been added back is fueling speculation that Amazon may be prepared to launch its Prime Video app on the tvOS App Store imminently.
At its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple confirmed that Amazon Prime Video is coming to Apple TV later this year. At its iPhone X event earlier this month, it reiterated that release date.
An unverified rumor earlier this week claimed Amazon Prime Video may launch on the Apple TV alongside the debut of the NFL's Thursday Night Football games on the online retailer's streaming video service this week.
Amazon Video allows Prime members to instantly stream tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, with hundreds of thousands of titles available to buy or rent, including many that are 4K and HDR.
Amazon removed all Apple TV and Chromecast product listings from its website in October 2015 because the devices did not offer Prime Video, which it said may cause confusion for customers.
Of course, the Apple TV and Chromecast also compete with Amazon's own Fire TV streaming media players.
Apple said Amazon had never submitted a Prime Video app for the tvOS App Store, or else it would have been happy to offer it. The app has been available for iPhone and iPad and several other platforms for many years.
Whatever the case may be, it appears Prime Video for Apple TV might finally be just around the corner.
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Top Rated Comments
Amazon said "this year."
Amazon: "To make the Prime app available on AppleTV, we want the same special financial deal you gave Netflix, rather than pay the full amount right off the top"
Apple: "No, we like our fatter margins, even if you would be storing & streaming all the content that might be purchased through your app from your own infrastructure."
Amazon: "When you give us the same deal you've given Netflix, we'll be interested. In the meantime, since you are not willing to compromise on a mutual win:win, we'll stop selling your AppleTV too."
Apple starts developing a 4K:apple:TV while others are already long-since there. Those others also have mostly the same apps as Apple PLUS Amazon Prime. Apple wants to launch with as much 4K content as possible. Someone internally decides to grant Amazon the same special deal in exchange for some Amazon concessions like selling the product on Amazon.com again. Amazon accepts and starts developing the app.
Apple at WWDC announces the Amazon Prime app coming soon.
Amazon develops the app, re-lists AppleTV in the store and then launches Amazon Prime.
Apple is more competitive with other 4K boxes by adding the Prime app and Prime 4K content. Apple still gets a pretty lucrative cut of Prime revenue and realizes sales of AppleTVs through the Amazon store. Amazon gets exposure to millions of new prospective Prime subscribers and gets to actually make some added profit (per the special deal) rather than give that extra to Apple. Consumers can get the last major missing streaming service from their preferred STB device. Win:win:win.
Now, your scenario could be correct and mine could be wrong, but I generally think about it in a "follow the money" way. Your scenario has Amazon being too lazy to profit on some segment of millions of AppleTV owners and refusing the retailer profit on selling AppleTVs in their store to boot. I'll concede that Amazon could be "lazy"... or evil... even at their own profit expense. But I'd bet my scenario is much more likely than yours (even if it fails to cast Apple in a purely saintly vision).
Apple: “we have these devices that are perfect for your prime app”
Amazon: “no thanks, too lazy to develop the app. And because we don’t have the app, we don’t want to sell your product as it doesn’t benefit us.”
Apple: “...”