[cracoucax]

Except they're also a marketplace and they require their vendors to ban the same products.

It's not an ecommerce strategy, they're very clearly using their huge leverage as the #1 ecommerce on the internet to attack their competitors and lure customers into their walled garden.

I'm pretty sure in my country this will be forbidden by antitrust laws.

[balls187]

> I'm pretty sure in my country this will be forbidden by antitrust laws.

On the surface, perhaps.

However from the article, this is in response to seemingly anti-competitive practices by both Apple and Google's strategies regarding Amazon Prime on their TV devices.

Apple and Google are acting like walled gardens, and so Amazon is retaliating. My guess is Amazons desired outcome is Apple and Google support Amazon Prime video Apple TV and Chromecast.

Edit to add: this comment was pulled out of the ether. Disregard.

[dragonwriter]

> However from the article, this is in response to seemingly anti-competitive practices by both Apple and Google's strategies regarding Amazon Prime on their TV devices.

The article doesn't say that at all. The Amazon statement quoted in the article says that the items don't "work well" with Prime Video, but doesn't blame that on "anti-competitive practices" by Apple or Google -- which is good, because the reason it doesn't work on Chromecast, at least, is simply that Amazon has chosen not to implement Chromecast support -- and it doesn't work on Android TV devices, except Sony Smart TVs, because Amazon has actively blocked those devices.

Apple does have generally stronger controls, and it may be that there is an Apple policy issue affecting Prime on Apple TV, but I suspect that that's not the case, and that, as for Chromecast, Apple TV doesn't "work well" with Prime because Amazon has made a decision not to have it work well with Prime.

> My guess is Amazons desired outcome is Apple and Google support Amazon Prime video Apple TV and Chromecast.

If Amazon wants Chromecast to support Amazon Prime, all they have to do is build support for the Chromecast API into Amazon Prime mobile and/or Web apps.

[balls187]

Man, I can't for the life of me figure out where I pulled that idea out of. You're right. Article makes no mention of why.

[lorenzhs]

Nope, Amazon not supporting chromecast is entirely Amazon's business decision, there are no technical reasons for it. Google is not preventing them from supporting Chromecast in any way. Amazon could easily offer if if they wanted to, but they would rather push their own ecosystem instead. I'm pretty sure the situation with Apple TV is similar.

[oaktowner]

Not at all. There is nothing other than their own stubbornness that prevents Amazon from supporting streaming on the Chromecast. Google doesn't charge for it streaming, there is no "marketplace" from which to take 30%, etc.

They are open APIs that HBO, ESPN, Netflix and hundreds of other companies have integrated with...and Amazon hasn't.