Amazon and Google put their video streaming differences aside

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: Amazon and Google in a surprise announcement have agreed to put their differences in the streaming video space behind them. Well, mostly. YouTube will soon be available on select Amazon devices and Prime Video will be coming to Chromecast devices. It's not an all-encompassing agreement (YouTube is still absent on Echo Show devices, for example) but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

The two tech giants in a joint press release on Thursday announced that in the coming months, the official YouTube app will launch on Amazon Fire TV devices and Fire Edition smart TVs. What’s more, the Prime Video app is coming to Chromecast and devices with Chromecast built in.

Later this year, YouTube TV and YouTube Kids will also come to Fire TV and Prime Video will be made available to other Android TV device partners.

Notably, there was no mention of bringing YouTube to the Echo Show nor did the two say anything about YouTube coming to Amazon’s Fire tablets. The latter isn’t a major concern, however, as YouTube can already be accessed through the tablet’s browser.

Amazon and Google’s feud dates back to at least 2015 when Amazon halted sales of media streaming devices that didn’t support Prime Video. Google in 2017 pulled the ability for Echo Show devices to stream YouTube videos. After a bit more back-and-forth, Amazon allowed previously banned devices like Apple TV and Chromecast back onto its virtual shelves.

Amazon image courtesy Steve Heap via Shutterstock

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https://www.techspot.com/news/79716-amazon-google-put-their-video-streaming-differences-aside.html

 

[kevbev89]

FINALLY.

 

[Lew Zealand]

2 great behemoths putting their differences aside so they can make more money. >sniff< brings a tear to the eye... Almost like Apple and Qualcomm.

Kum ba yah everyone, kum ba yah

 

[redhat]

Youtube monoply is bad for all. Whenever google want an agreement it will make a statment that the **** company broke the terms of its app so personally I think we have not won yet, we still need an alternative to youtube

 

[Uncle Al]

In the long run this sounds like it will be bad news for the consumer by further elimination of competition based upon some kind of mutual agreement ..... you can just see it coming!

 

[lostinlodos]

Anytime someone says monopoly I get so irritated.
YouTube is not a monopoly. On free access you have hundreds of sites including my personal favourite, daily motion. Just because you’re not aware doesn’t make then not exist; or any less high quality.
In the premium aspect there’s Amazon, Hulu, Netflix ...!
Cord cutters? Again amazon, with extension packages, t-mobile, and a few dozen others.
The only people (politically at least) who call for monopoly busting are people who don’t like a company or people unable to accept that maybe someone did it better. And as such they get the most business.

 

[Sir Alex Ice]

As an end user that bought a couple of Mi Box S devices and had to jump through some hoops to get Prime Video working on them, I am pleased to Amazon and Google getting along.

This way I hope to get the Prime Video app updated automatically, not manually by me. And it is not easy to find the latest apk made for Android TV.

 

[redhat]

Youtube monopoly is bad for all.

(spell checking is your friend)
How is Youtube a monopoly? Last time I checked(which was today) there were a crap-ton of streaming services out there..

Apologize for the spelling mistake
I think YouTube is video-sharing website not streaming one like Netflix or amazon prime.
As for video sharing sites like Vimeo, dailymotion etc ... they cannot compete with YouTube, so we are left with one site.