LAS VEGAS — Amazon has announced a major expansion of its Fire TV Edition program, which was introduced three years ago as a means of integrating its OTT ecosystem into smart TVs.
Here at CES, the tech giant said the program will now be available to device categories ranging from sounders to cars. And also included in that expansion are the devices pay TV operators lease to their customers.
According to Verizon, Verizon and India’s Tata Sky are the first operators to use the new Fire TV Edition for Operators service, which is available to operators in North America, Europe, India and Japan.
Amazon said Fire TV Edition makes it easier for device makers to integrate Fire TV into their products, with new tools and services for each category that enable companies to bring tailored entertainment experiences and content to their customers.
Amazon has partnered with companies including electronics retailer Best Buy on Fire TV Edition in the past. Through that partnership, Amazon was able to have its Fire TV ecosystem natively integrated into millions of Toshiba and Insignia smart TVs sold in North America.
"Over the past year, Best Buy has sold millions of Fire TV Edition smart TVs on BestBuy.com, in our stores and as a third-party seller on Amazon.com. We’ve enjoyed working with the Amazon team to bring these high-quality TVs and the incredible Fire TV experience to our customers," said Luke Motschenbacher, vice president of merchandising, Best Buy.
"At CES 2017, we announced the first Fire TV Edition smart TV. Now, just three years later, Fire TV Edition has grown into a worldwide program which will include more than 150 Fire TV Edition models across more than ten countries by the end of the year," said Marc Whitten, VP of Amazon Fire TV. "Our expanded Fire TV Edition program provides companies with the services and tools they need to bring Fire TV to more categories and more screens.”
In terms of the automotive sector, Amazon said it’s already working with BMW and Fiat Chrysler to integrate Fire TV backseat experiences, complete with Alexa voice navigation.
Meanwhile, also part of its broad CES announcement, Amazon touted the “Certified Solutions Provider” expansion of the Fire TV Edition program. Chinese TV manufacturer Skyworth has been tapped as the first original device manufacturer (ODM) to officially ply its expertise in helping other brands integrate custom Fire TV experiences into their devices.
