Amazon to stop selling Apple TV and Chromecast devices

Amazon today said it will no longer sell Apple TV and Google Chromecast devices that competed with the online retail giant's own media-streaming hardware, AFP reported.

The move comes as part of an effort to focus on devices that played well with Amazon Prime Video service, which the Seattle-based company had been pushing adding original shows and content partnerships.

''Over the last three years, Prime Video has become an important part of (Amazon subscription service) Prime,'' an Amazon spokesperson said in an email response to an AFP inquiry. ''It's important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion.''

The spokesperson, who referred to the selection as ''excellent choices'' said Amazon will continue to sell Roku and the company's own Fire TV devices, along with Xbox and PlayStation consoles made by Microsoft and Sony respectively.