Amazon is reportedly launching its own video streaming service. Rumors regarding the potential rival to Google's YouTube surfaced after the online retail giant was found to have filed trademark applications for two names — "AmazonTube" and "OpenTube."
Earlier this week, TV Answer Man discovered trademark applications that Amazon filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). While these documents do not mention YouTube by name, the applications describe a service very much like the Google-owned video platform.
According to the trademark applications, AmazonTube, or OpenTube, would operate as a "software and a mobile software application" that transmits, streams, broadcasts and shares multimedia content such as photos, videos, data and audio via portable electronic devices.
Amazon has not commented on whether they are indeed working on their own video streaming service. However, it should be noted that the company also previously registered domain names such as AlexaOpenTube.com, AmazonAlexaTube.com and AmazonOpenTube.com.
News of Amazon potentially creating and releasing its own video streaming platform comes almost two weeks after Google announced that support for the YouTube app would cease on all FireTV devices starting Jan. 1, 2018.
Reports have suggested that this move is a reaction to Amazon's decision not to sell or offer Google products or services that compete with the online retail giant's own offerings. To note, Google's Chromecast media player and Home smart speaker are direct competitors to Amazon's FireTV stick and Echo range of Alexa-powered devices.
Both companies are said to be in talks to restore YouTube access to FireTV devices. However, the video streaming app remains unavailable for the Echo Show and Echo Spot. YouTube would have been a good companion app for Amazon's new Echo Show device as the Alexa-powered smart speaker comes with a 7-inch touchscreen display.
Should Amazon decide to push through with its own video streaming service, the online retail giant is fully capable of challenging Google's YouTube platform. In a somewhat similar situation, Amazon has already launched an answer to another major player in the streaming service industry, Netflix, in the form of Amazon Prime Video.
