Apple Cripples Its Own Streaming App In Stand Off With Google
from the meet-the-new-boss dept
As the battle for streaming market share accelerates, the fighting between companies has increasingly gotten dumber. Such as when AT&T’s streaming TV app was pulled from Roku customer hardware because the two companies couldn’t agree on data sharing parameters. Or when Google TV customers almost lost access to NBC content because those companies couldn’t negotiate like adults either.
Of course the bickering is happening on several levels. Between telecom and broadcasting giants and streaming hardware vendors. Or between streaming hardware vendors and big tech giants making inroads in TV. Or, when big tech companies bicker among themselves.
For example, Apple appears to have crippled content purchases in the company’s own app to avoid having to pay Google’s 30% commission fees. Ironic, given that Apple has been in a longstanding fight with Epic Games over Apple’s own commission fees. The feud has left users of the Apple TV app on both Google TV and Android TV unable to buy any content through the app:
“If this is the case, Apple is playing a dangerous game of hypocrisy, having recently defended its own fees after being sued by Fortnite maker Epic Games.”
When asked specifically if that’s what they were doing, Apple remained cryptic:
“We’ve updated the Apple TV app to comply with Google Play’s guidelines around purchases and rentals.”
Whether it’s cable TV retransmission feuds or big tech standoffs, this is all immeasurably confusing for consumers, who can’t be certain a service or app will work as advertised at any given moment. And as the financial stakes get bigger as streaming grows, this kind of petty bickering will only expand.
Filed Under: commissions, consumers, fees, feud, hardware, in-app purchasing, streaming, tv, video
Companies: apple, google