Google Pulls YouTube From Amazon's Devices

There's no YouTube app for the Echo Show and Amazon Fire TV as Google and Amazon work toward an agreement.

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Google and Amazon are both giants in their markets, but occasionally cross streams with their content and/or devices. Amazon leapt into media streaming with its Echo and Fire TV devices, but the decision to explicitly emphasize them on its storefront may have caused a rift in their relationship with Google.

Engadget reports that slow progress on a new agreement between Amazon and Google has led to the latter's decision to remove their YouTube app from Echo Show and Fire TV.

"We've been trying to reach [an] agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other's products and services," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "But Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn't make Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of Nest's latest products. Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and FireTV. We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon."

Owners of Amazon's products may look at Google as the immediate bad guy with this move, but the above statement shows that Amazon has played its part in this turbulent exchange as well. It's likely this will push Amazon to a more amicable partnership with Google, hopefully sooner rather than later so consumers don't have to suffer through this back and forth. 

Charles Singletary Jr keeps the updates flowing as the News Editor, breaking stories while investigating the biggest topics in gaming and technology. He's pretty active on Twitter, so feel free to reach out to him @The_CSJR. Got a hot tip? Email him at Charles.Singletary@Shacknews.com.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    December 5, 2017 5:15 PM

    Charles Singletary posted a new article, Google Pulls YouTube From Amazon's Devices

    • reply
      December 5, 2017 5:17 PM

      Well amazon should allow streaming via Chromecast so it makes sense I guess. Sucks for the consumer though.

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      December 5, 2017 5:43 PM

      Sounds reasonable based on what they've said. That said, as a FireTV owner that blows.

    • reply
      December 5, 2017 6:06 PM

      I can watch Youtube on so many other devices. Who cares?

      • reply
        December 6, 2017 6:43 AM

        people who can't?

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        December 6, 2017 6:58 AM

        As someone that does a very large % of my youtube watching on my Shield tv, this would effect me deeply

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          December 6, 2017 7:02 AM

          ... What? The Shield TV isn't an Amazon device.

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            December 6, 2017 7:04 AM

            Right, I was supposing if I was on an amazon device Id be upset, I happened to go with a shield, I know they're different platforms.

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        December 6, 2017 9:52 AM

        [deleted]

    • reply
      December 5, 2017 6:15 PM

      Ugh thst sucks. Kids aint gonna be happy

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      December 5, 2017 7:37 PM

      This sucks. Not that I regularly watch YT on the Fire TV Box, but it's nice to have that option. I have the Chromecast connected to the receiver, so that has to be one to stream to the tv (bought it before the music only version, which is all I use it for now). BLEH

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      December 5, 2017 7:41 PM

      Amazon's efforts to create their own hardware and software fiefdom are a significant reason I've been avoiding their hardware and software.

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        December 5, 2017 10:58 PM

        yeah... sometimes they have that "us or no one" mentality... Steam does it too, and it can be very off putting, but business is business i guess.

    • reply
      December 5, 2017 8:04 PM

      Ouch sucks for Amazon

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      December 5, 2017 11:14 PM

      Amazon has been screwing Google for ages with Chromecast support. Glad it will get fixed.

      • reply
        December 6, 2017 6:35 AM

        They’ve also removed Twitch from Roku recently...

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          December 6, 2017 7:03 AM

          Seriously, no sympathy for Amazon.

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          December 6, 2017 8:37 AM

          They better not remove Chromecast support...

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      December 6, 2017 6:59 AM

      Hopefully we se good 3rd party youtube apps soon

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        December 6, 2017 8:55 AM

        To whoever lol'd I know, why is this so hard tho? Id gladly toss $5 bucks at whoever came up with a decent youtube app. I'm guessing google changes youtube often enough to make maintaining it a nightmare?

        For instance the youtube app on the apple tv looks like something straight out of Apple TV 2

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          December 6, 2017 9:12 AM

          The lol was personal, not technical. Google turned it off to prevent Amazon from doing stuff like this.

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      December 6, 2017 9:22 AM

      Meh, there will just be third party apps just like on Microsoft devices.

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