Amazon: Not a Universal Retailer Anymore?
At the end of October, Amazon will no longer sell Apple TV or Chromecast.
The reasoning? It's not because they are lousy products or have terrible sales (Amazon still sells tons of terrible products); both devices are on the top 15 selling electronics on Amazon currently (Chromecast at 7, Apple TV at 14).
Amazon's explanation is that both devices don't support Amazon's Video service well. Amazon states: "“It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion.”"
While Amazon has the right to do this, it's a dangerous move for their company and reputation. To the majority of Amazon users, it is a retailer. People search Amazon because they can find almost anything they would like there. With this move, Amazon could change its position in being a go-to search for shopping. It shifts their neutral stance on selling products. With this precedence, Amazon will only carry devices that Amazon sees fit and meet their quality (or any other criteria) of integration with their platform.
While the Apple TV does not support Amazon Prime Video, it is Amazon's responsibility for its Chromecast support since any application can add Chromecast support. Amazon has chosen to not add Chromecast functionality to its application. This makes it more ridiculous that Amazon will not sell Chromecast after October 29th.