Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority
- Google has been offering large publishers “sweetheart” deals that bring down the percentage of revenue they have to pay under Google Play Billing.
- Both Spotify and Netflix have been reportedly offered these deals, though Netflix declined it as it would have still lost money.
- Google has also reportedly offered incentives to Activision Blizzard to ensure its games launch on the Play Store alongside rival platforms.
Google is currently embroiled in the Epic Games vs Alphabet Inc. legal battle, and the process is giving us access to some astonishing facts about how the Google Play Store works. While the process is quite known for small-scale developers, large developers play by a special set of rules, with incentives and lower app fees to keep them on the Play Store.
Recently, it came to light that Google offered $360 million in ad credits and co-marketing to Activision Blizzard to ensure its games launched on the Play Store alongside rival platforms. New reports now indicate that other large developers also got various preferential treatment.