Amazon Enhances Fire TV with Expanded Free Streaming Options

Amazon is introducing a revamped experience for its Fire TV platform, prioritizing access to subscription-free streaming and live content. The company revealed today that several new services are being incorporated into its Live features, notably Xumo, its own IMDb TV, and the Amazon News application.

Furthermore, Plex is slated for inclusion in the near future, according to Amazon. All four of these services provide content at no cost, supported by advertisements, and do not necessitate a subscription.

Expanded Access Through Fire TV’s Interface

These channels and their respective programs will be prominently displayed within the Fire TV’s Live tab, specifically in the “On Now” sections. They will also be accessible through the Universal Channel Guide available on the Fire TV application.

With these additions, Amazon reports that over 400 live streaming channels, sourced from 20 different providers, are now available via the Fire TV live channel guide. This includes popular services such as YouTube TV, Sling TV, Tubi, Pluto TV, Philo, Prime Video Channels, Prime Video Live Events (including Thursday Night Football), and many others.

Notably, more than 200 of these channels are offered free of charge with ad support, eliminating the need for a subscription.

A Competitive Landscape: Amazon vs. Roku

The provision of free, live streaming content is rapidly becoming a key area of competition between Amazon and Roku, the leading streaming media platforms in the United States. However, their approaches to this format diverge.

Amazon is increasingly integrating its free, live content section directly into the core Fire TV interface, rather than requiring users to launch a separate channel. This reflects Amazon’s design ethos for Fire TV, which closely mirrors the experience of navigating a streaming service.

Amazon’s Content-Forward Philosophy

“We’ve always taken a content-forward approach when designing Fire TV,” stated Sandeep Gupta, VP and GM of Amazon Fire TV. “When a user powers on their TV, they should immediately see shows, movies, and sports – not simply a list of applications.”

Gupta continued, “This principle extends to our strategy for live content. We are consistently investing in Live TV, as are our content partners. Today, we are expanding this commitment with new integrations, Alexa capabilities, and improved content discovery tools.”

In contrast, Roku offers its own hub, The Roku Channel, which provides access to free movies and TV shows. This serves as a starting point for users who have transitioned away from traditional pay television.

However, unlike Fire TV, Roku’s interface maintains a structure based on “rows of apps,” which many users find simpler and less cluttered. The Roku Channel functions as a distinct application to launch, rather than being integrated into the core Roku interface.

Expanding Reach and Accessibility

Roku also makes The Roku Channel available online and as a standalone mobile application, mirroring the accessibility of other free streaming services. This week, the company integrated the majority of The Roku Channel’s free content with its main Roku.com website to broaden its consumer reach.

Fire TV, conversely, offers its own application but confines it to live content, excluding on-demand, ad-supported shows and movies.

Alexa Integration and Enhanced Features

In addition to the newly announced live TV integrations, Amazon has also enabled Alexa voice control for its live TV programs.

Users can now utilize voice commands such as “Alexa, play ‘Good Morning America’” or “Alexa, play the Seahawks game” to directly launch specific live TV programs. This functionality is compatible with the Alexa Voice Remote on the Fire TV Cube and with Fire TVs paired with an Echo device.

Live TV programs will also be featured in the “App Peak” (hover) feature on the updated Fire TV interface. This feature displays the current programming on a channel when the user hovers over it within the main navigation. It is currently available on the Fire TV Stick (third generation) and Fire TV Stick Lite.

Driven by these expansions and live TV integrations, coupled with increased at-home entertainment during the pandemic, Amazon reports that engagement with livestreaming applications on Fire TV has more than doubled in the past 12 months, increasing by over 130%.

Amazon confirms that these new features are being rolled out to Fire TV devices today.

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