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BSkyB blocks Amazon Instant Video (LoveFilm) from UK Roku platform?
justjax
Posts: 939 Forum Member
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So for those of you like myself who were hopefully that the Amazon Instant Video channel would show up on the UK Roku service now that LoveFilm has become Amazon Instant Video (seems a good bet as they already have a channel on the US service), prepare to be disappointed. It looks like it ain't going to happen and we have BSkyB to thank for apparently.
According to a blogger who commented on this Roku related blog, Amazon told him that BskyB have blocked Roku form adding them and the guy who runs the blog said he's heard similar things from other sources.
Have to say I'm mightly ducked off to say the very least. While BSkyB's investment in Roku (think they now have a 40% investment) may have helped bring on aboard the terrestrial channels like 4OD, Demand 5 and upcoming ITV Player, I don't want their influence dumbing down the platform in an effort to sabotage the competition. They already block Netflix on the NOW TV box (which is essenitally a rebadged Roky LT), but didn't think they would start using their clout to start limiting the contact on the full Roku boxes.
What next? What's to stop BSkyB signing a deal with Apple TV (or other services) and doing the deal so it cuts out competitors like Amazon Instant Video or Blink Box?
According to a blogger who commented on this Roku related blog, Amazon told him that BskyB have blocked Roku form adding them and the guy who runs the blog said he's heard similar things from other sources.
Have to say I'm mightly ducked off to say the very least. While BSkyB's investment in Roku (think they now have a 40% investment) may have helped bring on aboard the terrestrial channels like 4OD, Demand 5 and upcoming ITV Player, I don't want their influence dumbing down the platform in an effort to sabotage the competition. They already block Netflix on the NOW TV box (which is essenitally a rebadged Roky LT), but didn't think they would start using their clout to start limiting the contact on the full Roku boxes.
What next? What's to stop BSkyB signing a deal with Apple TV (or other services) and doing the deal so it cuts out competitors like Amazon Instant Video or Blink Box?
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I think the real reason is that Amazon are releasing their own streaming box very soon
Netflix and Crackle are legacy channels with deals in place beforewell before BSkyB made any investment so I don't think they could get existing channels removed as it would be too much of a customer backlash. Anyway, hopefully it is an unfounded rumour as Roku is a great platform and it would be a shame to see it watered down because of BSkyB's self interest.
Its not their upcoming box that's the reason. Amazon are a service company not a hardware one, the hardware side basically makes no money on any of their devices and is only there to hook new customers into their ecosystem.
They have launched their services on most other platforms even when they have their own hardware. They only really stay away from others ecosystems when either the platform owners make it difficult/expensive for them to launch on the platform or where development is difficult so they deem it not worth the time/expense at this time as is the case with Android as a whole.
You wouldn't think its a difficulty in developing the app for the Roku as they have the US app they can customise and as Roku is the most popular streaming box platform in the UK by not being on it they are missing out on a significant membership base so the Platform owners (or in this case one of the shareholders of the platform owners) making it difficult for them seems like the only explainable reason for it being missing
LOL, of course I meant $50m not $50.00
While I would love that to be the case (as it might spur them into action) do we really think that many Amazon Prime customers signed up just on the assumption that they'd offer Amazon Instant Video on the Roku?
It was mentioned in one of the articles last year about studies showing that it was the most popular platform in the US. I can't find the article again (there's so many of them) and I don't recall any sales figures being given but they indicated the trend was the same as the US. Total units sold were higher for the AppleTV but Roku boxes sold the second most and had both a higher average use time and more units actually being used (apparently AppleTV's have a fair amount that get bought and then end up in a drawer not being used and many of those that are used aren't used for streaming but simply to mirror iPads onto a larger screen)
I bought a roku box purely because I thought you'd be able 2 access Amazon Prime through it!
(I also have a netflix account aswell so it wasn't a total waste of money!)