• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApple

Why You Can’t Buy Apple TV On Amazon

By
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 1, 2016, 1:23 PM ET
Jeff Bezos, photographed
at Amazon headquarters in
Seattle on March 11
Jeff Bezos, photographed at Amazon headquarters in Seattle on March 11Photograph by Wesley Mann

Go ahead and try to buy an Apple TV on Amazon.com. Find anything? Didn’t think so.

In October, Amazon stopped selling Apple’s set-top box, along with Google’s Chromecast device. While Amazon (AMZN) shared few details about the decision despite the consumer outcry at the time, the company’s chief executive shed some light on the move during an interview on Tuesday at the Code technology conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

While Bezos didn’t mention Apple (AAPL) or Google (GOOGL) by name, he referenced them in response to a question about why he stopped selling the devices, saying it all comes back to other companies playing nice with Amazon and offering its Prime Video streaming-video service on their products.

“[W]hen we sell those devices, we want our player—our Prime Video player—to be on the device, and we want it to be on the device with acceptable business terms,” he said at the conference. “You can always get the player on the device. The question is, can you get it on there with acceptable business terms?”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Bezos’ comments echo those Amazon made in October when it announced its decision to axe Apple TV and Google’s Chromecast from its online marketplace. The company said at the time that it didn’t want to sell products that didn’t support its Prime Video service. Amazon added in a statement that it wanted to “avoid customer confusion.”

However, the Apple TV and Chromecast, which are sold at many online and offline retailers, might have come under fire from Bezos and others for one other reason: They compete with Amazon’s own Fire TV set-top box and Fire TV Stick entertainment device. Getting Apple TV off Amazon.com might have helped the e-retailer get its product in front of more customers it otherwise might not attract.

In fact, in a search on Amazon.com, Fortune found that when users query the marketplace for “Apple TV,” Amazon’s Fire TV is the first result to pop up. It’s followed by a universal dock from Apple and an Apple TV mount. The fourth result is Amazon’s Fire TV Stick.

It’s unclear what Bezos might have meant about “acceptable business terms,” but he’s seemingly suggesting that Apple and Google are making it difficult for his company to get his video player on their devices. With a new App Store built into the Apple TV, however, that might be more likely—especially considering Amazon’s video player is available on Apple’s App Store for iPhones and iPads. That at least suggests Apple might not have as big of an issue with Prime Video Player as Bezos might think.

For more on Apple TV, watch:

Whatever the case, Bezos gave no hint that his company’s top two entertainment hardware competitors will return to his store anytime soon. At least for now, it seems he’s waiting on Apple and Google to make the first move.

Apple, Google, and Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

Arkeem and Ashley with their 6 children.
SuccessGen Z
Meet the millennial father of six who rebuilt his life through the trades—and questions America’s obsession with college
By Eva RoytburgDecember 24, 2025
1 hour ago
Vanguard CIO Nitin Tandon.
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How investment giant Vanguard’s CIO is placing big tech bets today to create the AI digital advisor of tomorrow
By John KellDecember 24, 2025
3 hours ago
Calvin Butler, President and CEO, Exelon
EnergyUtilities
Utility CEO on the data center crunch: America’s ‘check engine light’ is on and ‘no one’s going to pay attention until it breaks down’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 24, 2025
3 hours ago
Ali Ghodsi
AIVenture Capital
CEO of a $134 billion software giant blasts companies with billions in funding but zero revenue: ‘That’s clearly a bubble, right… it’s, like, insane’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 24, 2025
3 hours ago
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
PoliticsEurope
Trump administration bars 5 prominent Europeans from the U.S., accusing them of pressuring tech firms to ‘censor’ American speech
By Beatrice NolanDecember 24, 2025
5 hours ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
The AI startups founders and VCs say could be acquisition targets in 2026
By Allie GarfinkleDecember 24, 2025
8 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Billionaire philanthropy's growing divide: Mark Zuckerberg stops funding immigration reform as MacKenzie Scott doubles down on DEI
By Ashley LutzDecember 22, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Financial experts warn future winner of the $1.7 billion Powerball: Don't make these common money mistakes
By Ashley LutzDecember 23, 2025
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, new research reveals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 23, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeDecember 22, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
'When we got out of college, we had a job waiting for us': 80-year-old boomer says her generation left behind a different economy for her grandkids
By Mike Schneider and The Associated PressDecember 23, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Retail
Trump just declared Christmas Eve a national holiday. Here’s what’s open and closed
By Dave SmithDecember 24, 2025
7 hours ago