Amazon Prime Video On Apple TV: When Will Streaming Service Become Available?

Since the June announcement at WWDC that Amazon Video would make its long-awaited and much-demanded debut on Apple TV by the end of this year, we have gotten radio silence on the subject. Rumors of an Oct. 26 release date proved to be false, as that date came and went with no new information about the release of the app. The Apple TV 4K hardware also recently launched without any sign of Amazon’s streaming service.

Interest in Amazon Video on Apple TV should only increase in light of Monday’s huge announcement. According to Deadline, Amazon spent $250 million to make an upcoming Lord of the Rings television series that will last multiple seasons. You will be able to watch it with an Amazon Prime subscription, just like the company’s other original shows and movies. Amazon Video, of course, is available on just about every smart TV, game console and set-top box. Except for one.

Even if you think J.R.R. Tolkien’s Mordor fictional universe is one that has been more than thoroughly explored in the past 20 years, there are still plenty of other reasons to want Amazon Video on Apple TV. High-profile shows like Transparent and Sneaky Pete headline a growing lineup of original programming, while the inclusion of Thursday Night Football this season makes Amazon Video an easy way to catch the game without cable. Bad, injury-filled football is still football, after all.

Unfortunately, there have not been any fresh, credible rumors about the launch of Amazon’s video service on Apple TV since the Oct. 26 one turned out to be nothing. The good news, however, is that Amazon promised to launch the app “this year” and there is only so much “this year” left. Unless something has gone horribly wrong, expect Amazon Video on Apple TV in the next month and a half.

Though Amazon putting its video service on a widely used platform like Apple TV obviously benefits consumers, it is important to remember the two companies are still competitors. That means they have to look out for themselves first. Ad Age reported Amazon is working on a free, ad-supported version of its video service, which might take precedence over developing a version of the existing app for a competitor’s platform. Of course, that would also fit into Amazon’s war with Apple, as the latter is also dabbling in original programming of its own.

The clock is ticking for Amazon Video to come to Apple TV by the end of 2017, but the good news is the app is available on just about every other device you might own. It is worth wondering why one of the most prominent streaming services is not available on such a popular platform, but if you absolutely must take advantage of your Prime subscription by streaming things, it can be done in other ways. Hopefully you can watch The Man in the High Castle and other shows on your brand new Apple TV device before the end of December.