Two of the biggest companies in the tech industry are supposedly at war, and the latest drama involves YouTube. Things have escalated between Google and Amazon to the point that Google is yanking YouTube, the world's second top visited website, off of Amazon's Echo Show and Fire TV devices. The move is the latest in an ongoing feud that only feels like it will continue to grow even bigger than it has already.
Those with an Echo Show can expect to lose YouTube access beginning today, and Fire TV owners will see the service suspend January 1st. Officially, Google has stated Amazon has forced its hand as the company currently refuses to stock Google products such as Chromecast, Nest, or Google Home in its online store. Additionally, Google Cast users have been unable to access Amazon Prime Video for quite some time, so it would appear that pulling the YouTube app is just a bit of fair play until Amazon decides to play ball.
While none of the following was mentioned in Google's official statement, Engadget reports a source who says the company is also unhappy with how Amazon implemented its YouTube app to begin with. The YouTube app that is currently used on Echo Show and Fire TV devices was constructed in-house at Amazon and leaves out features Google has implemented on its official app as well as likely hampering its ability to collect ad-revenue on said devices. If Amazon and Google resolve their differences, it appears one of the compromises will be allowing Google's team to design an app for Amazon products to use going forward.
Amazon's stance on not selling competitors products that are similar to its own products isn't exactly new, and Google isn't the only company to have its products excluded by the online service. Apple TV, for example, is currently not available in the Amazon store, so saying yes to Google in exchange for getting YouTube back could complicate things with other companies. Amazon issued a response to Google's actions which stated the move was unfair and that the company is restricting devices to what is essentially an open website. Amazon ended by saying it wishes to resolve this issue with Google as quickly as possible.
Some experts are assuming Amazon and Google will eventually reach an agreement, but, until then, Echo Show users don't have YouTube and Fire TV viewers will lose it January 1st. For those who just lost YouTube and need something to watch on their Amazon device in the meantime, head on over to our fall premiere guide and see if there's anything there that can be purchased on Amazon. For a look at some shows to be on the lookout for in 2018, our midseason premiere guide is a great source for information. For a list of shows that got canceled in 2017, head here.
