Skip to main content

Amazon and Google agree to more support for each other’s streaming services

It’s been a long, frustrating road for folks who own Amazon’s devices and want to access Google’s streaming services, and vice versa, but it appears the two giants have agreed to at least partially lay down their weapons and call a truce. Today, April 18, the two companies have jointly announced that “in the coming months,” there will be cross-platform support for streaming video services, including Prime Video on Chromecast, Chromecast-built-in, and Android TV, and official YouTube support for Amazon Fire TV, and smart TVs with Fire TV built-in. Though Prime Video was already available on a limited number of Android TV devices, support for this platform will now expand.

The dispute between Amazon and Google has taken several turns over the years, and has seen Amazon refuse to carry certain Google devices like Chromecasts on its virtual store shelves. For its part, Google retaliated by yanking access to YouTube from devices like the Amazon Echo Show. And while today’s announcement is a clear indication that relations between the two companies have begun to thaw, it’s hardly at the warm-and-fuzzy levels we’d like to see. Neither company, for instance, has offered a timeline for the return of YouTube to the Echo Show, or for a wider range of Google devices to be made available on Amazon.

Recommended Videos

As for the reasons behind today’s announcement? Chalk it up to pure self-interest. The streaming video space, which is already experiencing a frenzied level of competition, is about to get much, much hotter due to the imminent arrival of both Apple’s Apple TV Plus, and Disney Plus. It’s expected that both services will be available on a wide range of streaming devices, including Roku, and most major smart TV platforms. Consumers will thus be faced with a choice of which device they’ll use, and which streaming services they’ll subscribe to. If that choice ends up precluding access to either Prime Video, or YouTube, it could hurt both companies.

Alternatively, if people feel there’s no reason to trust that their Chromecast or Fire TV device will play nicely with Prime Video and YouTube for the foreseeable future, they may simply opt to buy a Roku, which offers support for virtually every streaming platform. Both Google and Amazon could end up getting caught in the whirlwind of choice, something both entities would prefer to avoid.

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
What is Amazon Fire TV? Price, hardware, software, and more
A trio of Amazon Fire TV remote controls held in a hand in front of a television.

We all know the ways that companies name their products can be confusing, and Amazon is no exception here. Amazon Fire TV isn't a TV, or at least, it isn't only a TV. It's the Amazon ecosystem for streaming devices and Smart TVs that all run on Fire OS. Amazon's home entertainment HQ isn't just streaming sticks or the Smart TVs, it's the entire ecosystem from hardware all the way to the OS that powers everything.

Fire OS is the software that runs Amazon's Fire TV and tablets. Fire TV streaming sticks and the Cube are small streaming devices that connect to your TV, and give you access to streaming content. Amazon Smart TVs have onboard access to Fire TV, letting them access everything the streaming sticks can, without needing any accessories to do it.

Read more
The Roku Channel app gets more functionality on Google TV
The Roku Channel app on Google TV.

When I think about Roku, I generally picture my Roku Ultra streaming box or a Roku Streaming Stick and the clean, zippy OS it provides. Roku doesn't end there though. The Roku Channel has more than 350 live channels available for free to anyone that downloads the app. It's (not surprisingly) available on any Roku streaming device or TV, but last year The Roku Channel app also became available on Google TV.

Roku has some updates on the way to improve the way The Roku Channel integrates with Google TV, mainly through its visibility on the home page and search functionality. Instead of having to navigate and search for Roku content within the app, Google TV will now show recommendations from Roku in the Google TV live TV tab. Selecting those recommendations will launch you directly into The Roku Channel app to the desired show or movie. Content will also show up when searched through Google TV's built-in search field.

Read more
How to cut the cord: quitting cable for streaming services
Roku Pro Series TV

If you're tired of paying too much for a cable subscription that doesn't deliver the shows you want to watch, then it may be time to cut the cord and head for greener pastures with streaming. Unlike the early days of streaming, the most popular streaming services and smart TVs now deliver access to huge amounts of content with VOD libraries, along with great new exclusive movies and shows. Even better, some streaming services also offer live streaming, which means you can still catch every new episode of your favorite shows without being hit with an expensive cable subscription.

Of course, having tons of options doesn't actually make figuring out which streaming service is right for you any easier. After all, Hulu + Live TV is different from Netflix, and when you start considering the options that Amazon Prime Video delivers, things get even trickier. When you throw streaming devices into the mix, it complicates everything even more. Have no fear, as we've got all the details you need to make an informed decision. Let's dig in.
Internet speed and streaming

Read more