Amazon and Best Buy team up to sell TVs, but it’s a risky move for Best Buy

Amazon and Best Buy team up to sell TVs, but it’s a risky move for Best Buy

6 years ago
Anonymous $CLwNLde341

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/longtime-rivals-amazon-and-best-buy-announce-a-major-tv-partnership/

Amazon and Best Buy today announced a partnership that will see Best Buy selling smart TVs running Amazon's Fire TV software and Alexa in its physical stores. The deal will begin with "more than 11" models of Insignia and Toshiba TVs going on sale at Best Buys this summer.

TVs are a challenge for Amazon, as consumers might be disinclined to buy a TV sight unseen. You can't judge comparative quality from images on your computer monitor. Some things, like HDR, are not possible to experience at all without being physically present in most cases. So Amazon needs a popular retail outlet for its TVs to make progress in that market. Best Buy dedicates much of its stores' square footage to showcasing TVs, though the lighting conditions are only suitable for assessing quality in the specialized rooms reserved for the highest-end sets.