As Ars Technica reports, Amazon originally removed the Apple TV from its website in October. It also banned Google’s Chromecast and ordered all third-party sellers do likewise for both products. The firm isn’t a big fan of rival streaming services.
In an interesting turn of events, it looks like it could be planning to release an official Prime Video app for one of the most influential of those rivals. MacRumours reports that Amazon’s tech support team confirmed an Apple tvOS app is in active development and will be available “within a few weeks” in an email to engineer Dan Bostonweeks.
The company continued to outline how it sees developing a tvOS version to be logical as it already has an iOS app for the iPhone and iPad. What remains unclear is whether this could precede a return of Apple TV to Amazon’s storefront as it was originally removed because of a lack of support for Prime Video.
The same excuse was given for the removal of Google’s Chromecast. Roku’s range of popular streaming devices are allowed to stay because they do support Prime TV and Instant Video. If the Apple TV gets an official, Amazon-built app to stream these services then it stands to reason that it should be accepted back into the store.
Currently, the easiest way to get Amazon’s content playing on an Apple TV is to use AirPlay to beam video from the official iPhone or iPad app. The experience isn’t as seamless as it would be when navigating directly from the TV though.
Last month, it briefly appeared as though Apple could be itself banning Amazon from making a Prime Video app even as the shopping giant delisted Apple TV. Apple quickly moved to cover its tracks though, telling BuzzFeed that “all are welcome” on its platform but Amazon is yet to submit an app for approval.
That could change soon, giving Amazon Prime Video yet another name to add to its list of supported devices. Currently, content can be viewed online, on iOS and Android devices, the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Wii U, Amazon’s own Fire devices, the Roku streaming stick and some smart TVs and Blu-ray players.
