A few weeks ago Amazon announced they planned to pull streaming devices that did not support the Amazon Video store app. Both the popular Apple TV and Chromecast have already been removed from Amazon.com by Amazon.
Yet while the Google-owned Chromecast is gone, the Google-owned Android TV devices and other devices like the Nivida Shield that run on Android TV are still for sale on Amazon.com, leaving many wondering…. Google Chromecast was pulled, so why leave devices running Google’s Android TV that also do not support Amazon Video?
Amazon has an Android version of their Amazon Video app that runs on Android TV, but the user interface does not work. We have tested it and have been able to install it on our Nvidia Shield; however, the user interface is meant for touch and the Nvidia Shield controllers do not work with it.
So taking the current Amazon Video app for Android and updating it to work with the Android TV controllers should be an easy task for any programming team. Google has long tried to force services like Amazon Video to use their Google pay system and give Google a cut of each sale—something Amazon has fought.
What is most likely happening is Amazon will release an unofficial Amazon Video app not available in the Google Play store but available for side loading on Android TV. With Amazon in the business of selling content, being on as many devices as possible makes sense; however, having to give a part of the sale to third parties would cut into Amazon’s ability to sell content at current prices. Side loading an app onto Android TV would allow Amazon to sell content without giving up a cut of their sales.
We have reached out to Amazon for comment but have not received a reply at time of this posting.