3 Ways To Watch The News On Your Amazon Fire TV Device
If you want to catch up on the latest headlines, Amazon's Fire TV allows you to tune into live or on-demand news coverage easily. With the latest Fire Stick model offering 4K compatibility and a compact design, there's not much to dislike about the streaming platform. But how does it do with news broadcasts?
When comparing Amazon Fire TV to regular cable news, there are a lot of pros. Unlike cable news, you can skip content you're not interested in and personalize your news feed. You can also tune into local news stations to find out what's happening in your area. The best part is it won't cost you a penny.
The Amazon Fire TV platform is incredibly versatile, allowing you to watch your favorite shows, check the weather, and play games. With more channels added every year, you can enjoy a centralized news hub of live and on-demand footage without flipping through TV channels. In this guide, learn three ways to watch the news on your Fire TV device (besides simply downloading your news app of choice from Amazon's Appstore, of course).
Use the News app from Amazon
First introduced in October 2019, the News app is the go-to place to access news coverage from a wide range of providers. The app, built by Amazon itself, is completely free to use and comes pre-installed on Fire TV devices. Simply select the News app from the "Your Apps and Channels" section on your homepage.
Amazon News offers clips and live coverage from several providers, including CBS News, HuffPost, and Bloomberg. During setup, you can choose your favorite news sources to get a customized feed. Similar to a news aggregator, you can set up a custom order to play channels, offering a structured routine for news consumption.
One of the main benefits of the news app over watching cable news is the ability to pause, fast-forward, and choose which stories you would like to watch. You can also preview other stories while a video plays for a seamless news-viewing experience. If you enjoy watching live news, there's a section in the app dedicated to live coverage from ABC News, Yahoo, and a range of other providers.
Watch local news coverage
A year after its initial release, Amazon announced the inclusion of local news in its News app, available in 12 major cities. The major update featured additions of local stations, including CBSN Chicago and KIRO7 Seattle. Since the announcement, Amazon has continued to grow its local news coverage to 158 cities with over 250 local stations.
You can add local news channels by heading to the "More Channels" tab in the News app and selecting "Manage Local News." You can then select up to two local cities from which you wish to receive local coverage. As with other news services, the Amazon news app is supported by ads to enable free news viewing.
One of the perks of watching news from Amazon is its handy voice assistant, Alexa. With simple voice commands, you can access content even faster and avoid endless scrolling. Simply say, "Alexa, play the news" to auto-play your favorite news stations. You can also say, "Alexa, play the local news" to stream local news footage in a few seconds.
Explore free content on Amazon Fire TV Channels
As of mid-2023, you can now watch a variety of news content from Amazon's new Fire TV Channels app. The app provides a free ad-supported streaming TV service (FAST) with content from over 400 providers. There are no fees or sign-ups required—you can launch the app through Alexa or from the Your Apps and Channels section on your Fire TV.
The app features short-form content from a range of providers, including ABC News, NHL, Variety, and Looper, to name a few. You can explore a personalized feed on the homepage or use the sidebar to navigate categories such as Entertainment, Gaming, and Sports. You can also find Fire TV channels embedded across the Fire TV homepage.
The app combines live and on-demand coverage, saving you from opening multiple apps to catch up on news coverage. Simply ask Alexa, "Play Fire TV Channels" to boot up the app and start enjoying free news coverage. Currently, the app is only available for U.S. users.