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Roku and Amazon reach deal that changes nothing

Phil Nickinson
By

Breaking news from the streaming video world! Something … didn’t change. Nobody’s removing your ability to watch something. There is no existential threat in the following sentences. But when companies put out a press release, bloggers gonna blog. And here we are.

Roku today announced that it’s reached an agreement that keeps Amazon Prime Video and IMDb TV on its platform. That’s it. It’s a multi-year deal, which means it’ll be at least 730 days before we potentially have to revisit this.

Amazon Prime Video app icon on Roku.
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends

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The full statement reads as follows: “Roku and Amazon have reached a multi-year extension for their distribution agreement. Customers can continue to access the Prime Video and IMDb TV apps on their Roku devices.”

That means you’ll continue to be able to watch anything and everything that’s on Amazon Prime Video, be it a free movie or show that’s included with your Amazon Prime subscription, like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Or it could be a movie or show that you’re renting or purchasing via Amazon Prime Video. (That’s actually where the deal with Roku comes in — Roku gets a cut.) And it’s true whether you’re watching via a Roku player (ie one of the streaming sticks) or on a Roku TV.

So what you were able to do today, you’ll be able to do tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that. One of the world’s largest video streaming services remains available on the largest streaming platform in the United States.

All is well. Please go about your life. Namaste.

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Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
Section Editor, Audio/Video
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
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