More Walls Fall in Amazon-Google Feud as Services Cross Platforms

The one-time feud between Amazon and Google (see 1712280031) seems like distant history as the two tech giants have loosened restrictions preventing co-mingling of their hardware, software and platforms. Amazon.com is selling Google Chromecast devices -- which compete directly with its Fire TV sticks -- and as of Tuesday, Amazon Prime Video content can be viewed on Google’s Chromecast and Android TV devices, and the YouTube app is available on Fire TV, Google blogged. Amazon’s Prime members will have unlimited access to Amazon Originals and films on Google devices, while Google’s YouTube app will be available on “select” Amazon Fire TV devices: second-gen and 4K Fire TV Sticks, Fire TV Cube, Fire TV basic and Toshiba, Insignia, Element and Westinghouse Fire TV Edition smart TVs. Chromecast and Chromecast built-in users, with access to over 2,000 apps for content and games, can now cast content directly from their phone’s Prime Video app to a TV, said Google. Chromecast Ultra users will get access to 4,000 titles included with Prime at no additional cost, it said. Users will need the latest Prime Video app and Android 5.0 or higher or iOS 10.1 or higher on their phone or tablet to receive the update. In addition to the select Android TV devices that currently have Prime Video, “many more” Android TVs, set-top boxes and streaming devices will soon have the streaming service, it said.