[shajznnckfke]

I think I’ve searched on Google for most movies I’ve ever watched. Maybe that makes me a weird person, I don’t know. If you search for a movie on Google, you get a lot of information, including reviews, actors, links to rent it on Google Play Store, Amazon, watch it on various streaming services, etc. There’s money to be made being the place people go when they want things. Actually that’s how Google makes most of its money - companies pay a finders fee to have that demand directed toward them. Content ads are a smaller business.

[scarface74]

That’s not what most people do. Most people are watching movies on their TV. The Netflix recommendation engine is a huge driver of what people watch. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and YouTube are the big four. I’m not sure how many people are actually watching YouTube on TV though.

You turn on your average smart TV or device, it’s also allowing you to buy movies on the device.

If you are binge watching TV, your TV knows. It knows what you watch, when you watch, etc.

[shajznnckfke]

I think what you’re saying here pretty much agrees with what I’m saying. By owning the platform where video is watched, Google will have more market power in the video streaming business. In the long run, that means getting a cut of revenues earned by video services on the platform, or preventing Apple from charging them that cut if they own the platform. It’s a much more integrated version of what happens now when you search for a movie on Google.com.

[scarface74]

Apple already doesn’t get any money out of Google. You can’t buy YouTube Live TV nor YouTube premium via in app subscriptions.

VOD rentals from Google Play Movies isn’t making money. I doubt anyone is making money on it. Everyone is charging the same thing. I assume that’s because there is no room to reduce prices.

Apple, Amazon, and Google care so little about revenue from digital movies that if you buy a movie from one service and link your account to Movies Anywhere, all of the other services just count it as purchased on their services. It’s a feature not a product that couldn’t be above break even.

If you search for a movie on Apple and it is available free on another service you subscribe to, Apple will just tell you.

The only play for Google here is advertising and collecting user data.

There is no realistic alternative where Google is any more than a bit player when you have Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney, and all of the other players with real content. Google already gave up on originals on YouTube.