WSJ Reports on Why Disney+ May Not Be Available on Amazon’s Fire TV

According to the Wall Street Journal, the reason that Disney+ is not yet set to be available on Amazon Fire TV devices is that the two companies have a disagreement about sharing advertising revenue.

What Is Happening:

  • Amazon is asking for the rights to sell a substantial percentage of the ads on Disney apps
  • While Disney+ will not feature ads, Amazon wants revenue from the apps that do sell ads such as ESPN and DisneyNOW
  • When Fire TV launched, it allowed media companies to have apps on its platform without sharing advertising revenue in order to build a following
  • Now that the devices are more established, Amazon has been asking for as much as 40% of the ad inventory
  • Meanwhile, Disney has not been interested in sharing their ad inventory as it believes its apps have clout and draw viewers to the devices
  • It is unknown when/if Amazon and Disney will reach a deal or if Disney+ will be available on Fire TV devices when it launches on November 12

Devices Where Disney+ Will Be Available at Launch:

  • Apple TV
  • iPads
  • iPhones
  • Android devices
  • Chromecast
  • PS4
  • Roku
  • Xbox One