Amazon has launched a news app for its Fire TV devices — appropriately dubbed News — that will be free to watch and supported by ads.
The customizable service enables users to watch content from multiple news providers in a single hub, the company detailed in a blog post. No downloads or subscriptions are required to use the app, which can be customized upon launch with content from CBS News, Bloomberg, HuffPost, Yahoo, Reuters, Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, and more. While currently only available on the Fire TV platform, the app will soon arrive on Fire tablets as well.
In addition to firing up the app manually, users can also say, ‘Alexa, play the news’ to initiate programming. Viewers can also scroll through different stories and news providers while content is playing on their remotes or with voice controls. There is a dedicated section for live news — including breaking news coverage from CBS News Live
and Yahoo News — and Amazon says additional channels are slated to arrive before year’s end. Users can also search by category, including ‘politics’, ‘tech’, ‘business’, and ‘sports’.This isn’t Amazon’s first foray into ad-supported video. Earlier this year, the company launched IMDB Freedive — a free movie and TV streaming service for Fire TV customers. An AVOD model complements Amazon’s flagship video business, subscription-based Prime Video.
You can check out a teaser for the new News app below:
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