Apple TV's market potential immense as it approaches launch and threatens Amazon

Apple has been laying out the groundwork for the release of its Apple TV next week. As estimates for the product seem promising, Amazon is not pleased. The company is refusing to sell Apple's upcoming product and analysts warn it can cost the two companies around US$85 million (AU$117.48).

Apple is ready to set up shop and accept orders of its new set-top box, Apple TV, this coming Oct. 26. The company has been busy prepping up the final stages of Apple TV's ecosystem. Even before the launch, the tech giant has already been adding apps from CBS and NBC to its line-up. However, users will need to pay to access the apps. For CBS, the damage is US$5.99 (AU$8.9) per month for CBS All Access Service, while NBC requires a cable subscription log-in to have full app access. Apple TV is also offering an exclusive fashion channel, Made2Measure or M2M network.

Apple TV will also be accepting apps built through its tvOS development kit. Developers now have the opportunity to deliver all sorts of program through Apple's new top-box. While all of these seem promising, Amazon has not been too keen about the prospect of selling the product.

The company has refused to sell Apple TV and Chromecast. In the coming days, Amazon will reportedly ban new listings for Google's video-streaming and Apple TV products. Bloomberg reported previously that Amazon is also bound to remove older listings eventually. While some analysts understand the company's intention to boost demand for its product, retail-big data Analysis Company 1010data suggests that it is a costly gamble for Amazon. The company risks losing millions of dollar by prohibiting Apple TV and Chromecast onto its platform.

The potential for TV streaming is huge. According to the company, around 10 million people in the United States paid for TV streaming in the past 12 months alone.

"Through Amazon alone, Google and Apple did about US$85 million [AU$118 million] the past 12 months," a 1010 spokesperson told Business Insider.

"Factoring in growth and the likely continued popularity of these devices, Google and Apple could easily have done over US$100 million (AU$117.48) in sales of streaming TV devices on Amazon over the next 12 months."

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