Amazon and Google look like they are settling their differences. Today, the companies announced a range of deals to bring each other’s video apps to each other’s streaming devices.
In the coming months, the two companies will launch the official YouTube app on Amazon Fire TV devices and Fire TV Edition smart TVs. The Prime Video app will also receive casting support for Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices. In addition, Prime Video will be available across Android TV device partners, and the YouTube TV and YouTube Kids apps will also come to Fire TV later this year.
The YouTube app on Fire TV will support 4K HDR playback at 60 fps. The Amazon Prime app on Chromecast and Android TV will offer Amazon Prime originals and licensed content along with access to subscription streaming services through Amazon Channels.
The distribution and compatibility deals announced today mark a significant about-face from where Amazon and Google’s relationship was about a year and a half ago. In late 2017, Google pulled YouTube apps from Fire TV and Echo Show devices, citing Amazon’s unwillingness to sell Google products on its e-commerce site.
RELATED: Google blocks YouTube access on Amazon Echo, Fire TV devices
"We've been trying to reach agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other's products and services," a Google spokesperson said in a statement at the time. "But Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn't make Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of Nest's latest products. Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and Fire TV. We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon."
Amazon responded by questioning the motivation behind Google’s move.
“YouTube used to be available to our shared customers on Echo Show. As of this afternoon, Google has chosen to no longer make YouTube available on Echo Show, without explanation and without notification to customers. There is no technical reason for that decision, which is disappointing and hurts both of our customers,” Amazon said in a statement.
But now the companies appear to be moving past those events by announcing official app launches on their respective streaming devices and platforms.