Amazon Sells Out of Fire TV Stick in Pre-Order Sale, Next Round to Ship After Christmas

Amazon began shipping the Fire TV Stick Wednesday, calling it the “fastest-selling Amazon device ever,” but shoppers who didn’t take advantage of the $19 pre-sale at the end of October can’t get a device before Christmas, according to the Fire TV Stick order page. The pre-sale was offered exclusively to Amazon Prime members. Sales were fueled by a two-day cut-rate deal in late October in which Prime customers who bought the media player early could get it for half the list price (see 1410270040). Amazon said customer demand for Fire TV Stick “outpaced our supply” and the company is working to build more “as quickly as possible.” The item didn’t appear on the Amazon landing page Wednesday, but in a news release the company said customers can order the Stick for $39 “to reserve their place in line” for the next round of shipments scheduled for Jan. 15. Fire TV Stick delivers content including A&E, Hulu Plus, NBA Game Time, Netflix, Pandora, PBS, PBS Kids, Plex, Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, Showtime Anytime, Spotify, Twitch, Vevo, WatchDisney Channel, WatchESPN and YouTube.com. With Fire TV Stick, which connects to a TV's HDMI port, users can fling apps or mirror a phone or tablet to a TV, Amazon said. The device allows users to search for content by voice.