Sources: Amazon Video app debut near on heels of NFL Thur game

The much-anticipated release of the Amazon Prime Video app for Apple TV is “imminent” as its final testing phase is wrapping up, sources familiar with its development have confirmed to BESTAppleTV. There are indications the timing of the release may coincide with the debut of Thursday night National Football League games on the service this coming week.

Sources with knowledge of development and testing report the app is “complete” and Apple’s quality control team has signed off on its release. “The app is ‘good as gold’,” one source said who asked not to be named for confidentiality reasons. “The app is going through various final testing.”

Multiple sources could not confirm an exact release date for the new app, but feel based on their knowledge of the situation that Amazon would likely release it before the first National Football League game streaming on Amazon Prime Video this Thursday, September 28th at 8:25 p.m. EDT between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers.

“It just makes total sense for one thing,” another source said. “You debut as a major sporting broadcaster at the same time you debut on a new device.”

An Amazon spokesperson was not immediately available for comment on these reports.

At its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on June 5th, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that an Amazon Prime Video app would be coming to Apple TV “later this year” with “a wealth of great content”, but gave no firm date or further details. Cook reiterated the app would be coming soon at the debut of the Apple TV 4K on September 12th, but again gave no firm release date.

The various reports from sources familiar with the apps development coincide with the original announcement back in May that it would be released in the third quarter, which ends next Saturday, September 30th.

Amazon has included a streaming video service for all of its Prime members since September 2006. A Prime membership to see the 10 NFL games costs $10 per month for a total of $120 per year, which can be canceled at any time. An annual installment plan reduces the yearly fee to $99 a year.

With the imminent release of the app, it remains to be seen if Apple’s fourth and fifth generation Apple TV set-top boxes will now be sold on Amazon.com. As of this writing, neither box is available through the online e-commerce service. Amazon stopped selling Apple TV boxes in the fall of 2015.