Amazon has announced that the company will cease selling third-party streaming devices that do not support its Prime Video service. The ban, which will come into effect on the 29th of October, will also stop third-party sellers from selling these devices via Amazon’s store. When the ban comes into effect, any existing listings for these products will be removed.
The ban will affect a variety of devices including the Apple TV and Google’s Chromecast. Devices that do support Amazon's video streaming services including the Xbox, PlayStation and Roku will be unaffected by the new policy.
Given that the ban will affect the new fourth-generation Apple TV, this seems to suggest that we will not see an Amazon app making an appearance on the new App Store.
In a statement, provided to Variety, the company said:
“Over the last three years, Prime Video has become an important part of Prime. It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion. Roku, XBOX, PlayStation and Fire TV are excellent choices.”
Amazon has also sent out an email to retailers, detailing the company's plans:
Dear Seller,
Over the last three years, Prime Video has become an important part of Prime. It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion. Therefore, Amazon has implemented listing restrictions for the followings products:
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- Nexus Player
Effective immediately, you may no longer create new listings for these products, and as of 10/29/15, any existing listings for these products will be removed. There will be no adverse impact on your seller account for the removal, but we request that you refrain from relisting removed products.
Roku, XBOX, and PlayStation all interact well with Prime Video and are not affected by this change.
Thank you for selling on Amazon.
Sincerely, Amazon Services
Source: Bloomberg
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