Do Walmart Sell Fire Sticks in 2024? Here‘s What I Found
As an expert in the retail space, I set out to uncover why you can‘t buy Amazon Fire TV Sticks at Walmart. With the two giants battling for ecommerce domination, this streaming rivalry provides key insights. After substantial research, here is what I discovered…
Why Fire Sticks and Walmart Don‘t Mix
Amazon and Walmart are long-standing competitors. As of 2023, Walmart has still not sold Amazon Fire sticks since removing them from stores in 2017.
Why not? Walmart sees growing its online business as vital to competing with the ecommerce behemoth Amazon has become.
In fact, according to eMarketer, Amazon holds a 41.4% share of the US ecommerce market compared to Walmart‘s just 5.9%.
To gain ground, Walmart is expanding inhouse brands, acquiring niche retailers, and finding any edge against Amazon. Not selling Fire sticks likely results from this strategy.
There were also rumors in 2017 that Walmart was developing its own streaming video platform. While the short-lived Vudu streaming service never seriously challenged Amazon Prime Video, no longer selling Fire sticks allows Walmart to promote competitors‘ streaming devices instore instead.
In short: Walmart benefits by NOT selling Amazon Fire TV sticks.
What Streaming Devices Does Walmart Offer?
Though Fire sticks are excluded, I found Walmart stocks various streaming media players at competitive prices:
Roku:
- Roku Express – $29
- Roku Streaming Stick – $49
- Roku Ultra LT – $59
- Roku Ultra 2022 – $99
Roku OS allows access to over 5,000 streaming apps and channels
Google Chromecast:
- 3rd Gen – $29.98
- With Google TV – $49.98
- Smart TV Kit – $64
Over 6,500 apps
Apple TV:
- Apple TV HD – $144
- Apple TV 4K – $169
With Roku holding over 55% of streaming device sales, Walmart smartly covers offering the full range of Roku products attractively priced.
| Device | Starting Price |
|---|---|
| Roku Express | $29 |
| Chromecast | $30 |
| Apple TV HD | $144 |
What About Walmart‘s Past Streaming Efforts?
Walmart attempted entering the streaming wars before through the Vudu on-demand video platform first acquired in 2010.
In 2019 Vudu shifted focus to original and exclusive content with its own subscription service. However, by 2020 Walmart sold Vudu to Fandango as the intense streaming competition with Prime Video likely proved too much.
Vudu continues allowing pay-per-title movie purchases or rentals. Roku and other devices feature a Vudu app in addition to Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and virtually every major streaming service.
So while Walmart bailed out of directly offering streaming subscriptions, you can still conveniently access Vudu and thousands of other streaming apps through Roku, Chromecast or Apple TV devices purchased at Walmart.
The Bottom Line
It‘s clear after analyzing the data that Walmart stands firm on not selling Fire sticks as an Amazon competitor. Yet with Walmart‘s roster of Roku, Google and Apple streaming products, I found consumers still have solid options to suit different budgets and preferences.
Personally, I expect Walmart‘s streaming assortment to expand in 2024. With Roku dominating US market share and advances in smart TV technology, it presents opportunities. Because in business, never underestimate Walmart‘s determination against Amazon!
Data sources: eMarketer, Statista
