After a stand-off that’s lasted years, Google and Amazon have made peace and finally agreed to put their streaming apps on each other’s platforms. Yes, that means Prime is coming to Chromecasts, while YouTube will finally be available on Fire TVs.
The two companies announced today they’d come to a detente. Google will bring the YouTube app to Amazon’s Fire TV devices and smart TVs, along with YouTube TV and Kids later this year. Amazon, meanwhile, will add Chromecast streaming support to the Prime Video app. It’s a welcome, if surprising handshake, given the feud between the two has lasted for years.
Indeed, they seem to be so chummy now they’re almost finishing each other’s sentences. Here’s what Heather Rivera, YouTube’s Head of Product Partnerships said of the partnership: “We are excited to work with Amazon to launch the official YouTube apps on Fire TV devices worldwide. Bringing our flagship YouTube experience to Amazon Fire TV gives our users even more ways to watch the videos and creators they love.”
And this is what Andrew Bennett, Prime Video’s Head of Worldwide Business Development, said: “We’re excited to bring the Prime Video app to Chromecast and Android TV devices, and to give our customers convenient access to the shows and movies they love.”
The two companies have historically been rivals in several fields, including voice assistants, cloud technology, and, of course, video. It’s the reason you couldn’t buy a Chromecast on Amazon until a few months ago — and even that concession appears to have been a difficult one, given there was a year between when it was promised and when it actually happened. Google pulled YouTube from Fire TVs years ago in protest of this snub.
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There’s still no word on whether the two will find more common ground. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on whether the new partnership would lead Amazon to start selling more of its new buddy’s products.
The app crossover will begin “in the coming months.”
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