Google and Amazon Fight Removes Streaming Access From Echo Show
Only Roku is the winner here. In a battle between tech giants, Google announced it has blocked access to YouTube from the Amazon Echo Show, and will remove access from Fire TV devices on January 1. The move is a retaliation for Amazon refusing to sell Google's Chromecast and Google Home devices. Amazon also doesn't make its Prime Video service available for Google Cast. Google's parent company Alphabet owns Nest Labs, maker of connected thermostats and security cameras, and Amazon doesn't sell those devices, as well.
Amazon made the decision to not sell Google devices in 2015, since the Chromecast didn't support Amazon Prime Video. It stopped selling the Apple TV at the same time for the same reason.
Amazon said it hoped to resolve the issue, and noted that Echo Show users can still access YouTube video through the internet, just not through the YouTube app.
“Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer access to an open website," Amazon told Reuters in a statement.
While the Amazon-Google relationship continues to sour, the Amazon-Apple relationship is on the mend: As of today, the Apple TV includes an Amazon Prime Video app, and the iOS version of the app has been updated to work with the iPhone X.
Related Articles
The Amazon Alexa ecosystem will soon include a larger Echo Show with streaming video support, and an OTA DVR.
21 Sep 2018
The hardware vendor claims its devices are completely legal since they don't host or download pirated content. It's the third-party software that does the infringing.
18 Oct 2017
The OTT world is changing and once again young viewers are leading the way. What's needed is more differentiation and experimentation in the industry.
28 Sep 2017
Forget the HomePod speaker: For Apple TV owners, the big WWDC news is that the Apple TV will soon gain an Amazon Prime Video app.
05 Jun 2017