If you own an Amazon Fire TV streaming device, you now have access to over 200 free live TV channels ranging from movies and entertainment to news, comedy, lifestyle, and more. Amazon quietly added this extensive lineup of free ad-supported linear channels over the past few months.
In this guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about the 200+ free live channels now available on Fire TV, including:
- How Amazon‘s new Fire TV interface update enabled the free channels
- A breakdown of the free channel providers and programming
- Instructions for accessing the free channels on your Fire TV
- Additional ways to watch free live TV beyond what‘s on Fire TV
- How this free channel expansion fits into Amazon‘s streaming TV plans
Plus, I‘ll provide some tips and recommendations as a streaming analyst to help you take full advantage of Amazon‘s free live TV offerings. Let‘s dive in!
New Fire TV Interface Opens Door to Free Streaming Channels
The launch of over 200 free live channels on Fire TV was made possible by the rollout of Amazon‘s new Fire TV interface experience over the past year.
This updated Fire TV interface brings several new features and enhancements, including:
- A redesigned home screen with a customizable "Live" tab
- An integrated channel guide with aggregated streaming content
- User profiles for personalized recommendations
- Alexa voice navigation improvements
Most importantly, the Live tab and channel guide allow Amazon to integrate free ad-supported TV channels and content from various 3rd party providers into one streaming platform.
Rather than having to jump between different apps, Fire TV owners can now access a diverse lineup of channels directly through the Fire TV interface. This creates a channel surfing experience much like traditional pay TV.
According to Amazon‘s latest earning report, the new Fire TV interface is now available on over 50 million devices globally. So millions of Fire TV and Fire stick owners can now stream over 200 channels completely free.
Free Ad-Supported TV Is Surging in Popularity
The timing of Amazon‘s free live channel expansion aligns with the rapid growth of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST).
Here are some key stats on the rise of free streaming TV fueled by cost-conscious cord-cutters:
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Pluto TV, the leading free streaming TV provider in the U.S., now has over 70 million monthly active users worldwide. This is up from 22 million monthly users in 2019.
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The number of US households using free ad-supported streaming TV grew by over 40% in 2022 to reach 27.5 million households according to research firm MoffettNathanson.
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Ad-supported streaming TV platforms in the US are projected to generate over $4 billion in ad revenue in 2022, per Insider Intelligence.
By integrating free channels from Pluto TV and other providers into Fire TV‘s interface, Amazon is positioning themselves to capitalize on the accelerating shift towards free streaming content.
Breakdown of the 200+ Free Live Channels Now on Fire TV
As I mentioned earlier, Amazon Fire TV now provides over 200 free live streaming channels courtesy of various 3rd party streaming providers.
Here‘s a full breakdown of where all the free channels come from along with some of the programming highlights:
Pluto TV (Over 100 channels)
Pluto TV offers the largest lineup of free live channels on Fire TV. As a pioneer in free ad-supported streaming TV, Pluto TV has struck deals with major networks, studios, and digital publishers to air well-known programming.
Some of the top Pluto TV channels on Fire TV include:
- Pluto TV Movies – Streaming hit films from leading studios like MGM, Paramount, Lionsgate, and more.
- Pluto TV Drama / Pluto TV Comedy – Binge shows like Roseanne, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Love Boat and other classics.
- MTV Pluto – MTV reality shows like Catfish, Ridiculousness, Teen Mom and much more.
- Pluto TV Kids – Family-friendly shows from Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, Hasbro, Mattel and more.
- Pluto TV Sports – Covering global sports including soccer, MMA, surfing, bowling, horse racing and more.
Pluto TV offers a cable TV-like experience with popular channels for news, entertainment, movies, sports, comedy and other genres.
IMDB TV (Over 20 channels)
IMDB TV, Amazon‘s own free streaming service, provides 20+ channels through Fire TV focused on movies, TV shows, and lifestyle programming.
Top channels include:
- IMDB TV Spotlight – A 24/7 linear feed of movies like Training Day, Donnie Brasco, Drive, and Catch Me If You Can.
- IMDB TV Sitcoms – Binge classic sitcoms including Bewitched, Good Times, Wings, ALF, Growing Pains and more.
- IMDB TV Drama – Iconic dramas like Dallas, Smallville, Babylon 5, Night Court, and movies airing 24/7.
- IMDB TV Action – Non-stop action movies like Terminator 2, Rambo, U.S. Marshals, and TV shows like Quantum Leap and Xena.
- IMDB TV Family – Family comedies and programming.
IMDB TV offers both the latest movies and throwback shows unavailable elsewhere for free.
Tubi (Over 50 channels)
Tubi TV is another major free, ad-supported streaming provider with over 50 live channels on Fire TV, such as:
- Tubi Movies – Streaming popular movies from all genres.
- Tubi Westerns – Classic westerns and western TV shows.
- Tubi Crime TV – Iconic crime dramas like Adam-12, Hunter, and The Fugitive.
- Tubi Sitcoms – Binge retro comedies and sitcoms.
- Tubi Kids – Family entertainment from LEGO, Care Bears, Babar, and others.
Tubi offers a deep on-demand library and its live channels are curated by category.
Xumo (15+ channels)
Xumo provides a variety of entertainment, movie, and niche interest channels through Fire TV, including:
- The Pet Collective – America‘s top pet entertainment network.
- Stadium – 24/7 sports programming and events.
- Slice – Reality shows about pop culture, famous families, and lifestyle.
- Xumo Movies – Streaming movies of all genres.
Xumo combines unique original channels with licensed movies.
Additional Free Channels
Beyond the major providers above, Fire TV also offers select live channels from other free ad-supported platforms:
- 5 Red Bull TV channels – Action sports, music, gaming, and more.
- 10 Plex channels – Movies, TV, tech, comedy, food, and culture.
- Bloomberg business news channel.
- Newsy for headline news and reporting.
- USA Today live channel.
- CBC News for Canadian and world news.
These extra channels help round out Fire TV‘s live offerings with news, lifestyle, and niche content.
In total, Fire TV now provides over 200 free live streaming channels spanning nearly every category – from TV shows and movies to sports, comedy, news, kids, pets and more.
How to Start Streaming 200+ Free Channels on Fire TV
If you own a Fire TV stick or Fire TV cube with the latest Fire TV interface, accessing the free channels is super simple.
Follow these steps:
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From the Fire TV home screen, hover over the Live tab on the main menu bar and select it. This opens the channel guide.
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Browse or scroll through the channel guide to see your full lineup of free live channels from Pluto TV, IMDB TV, Tubi and others.
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When you find a channel you want to watch, just select it to start streaming the live feed.
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To quickly access all channels, press down on your remote to pull up the channel guide menu. Select "Guide" to see an A-Z list of every channel.
I recommend favoriting your go-to channels for easy access:
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Highlight any channel and press the menu button on your Fire TV remote.
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Choose "Add to favorites" from the menu. This adds it to your Favorites section.
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To view favorites, press menu and select "Manage Channels" then choose the Favorites tab.
Favoriting channels helps you create a personalized lineup of your favorite free TV channels and shows.
Tips and Recommendations for Watching Free Live TV on Fire TV
As a streaming analyst and cord-cutting expert, I have a few tips to help Fire TV owners make the most of the 200+ free live streaming options:
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Browse channels – Flip through the entire channel guide to discover new free channels since the lineup is extensive.
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Enable Alexa voice commands – Say things like "Alexa watch [channel name]" to instantly access live channels.
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Use PlutoTV, Tubi, Xumo apps – Install their standalone apps to get full access to on-demand libraries.
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Add an over-the-air antenna – An OTA antenna pulls in local broadcast stations for news, network TV and sports.
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Try free streaming trials – Take advantage of 1-week free trials from YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, and others to sample premium channels.
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Consider paid live TV streaming – For top-tier live sports and entertainment, paid services like YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream provide the most robust channel offerings.
Mixing free ad-supported channels with streaming trials, OTA antenna channels, and paid streaming gives you maximum options to ditch cable.
Beyond Fire TV: More Ways to Stream Live TV for Free
While Fire TV now offers an extensive lineup of free live channels, there are other ways cord cutters can stream free live TV outside of Fire TV:
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The Roku Channel – Roku‘s streaming hub has over 175 free linear channels from providers like ABC News, Newsy, People TV, Weather Nation, and more.
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Live TV streaming sites – Sites like LiveNet TV, Crackle, DistroTV, Plex, and The Roku Channel offer free live TV channels to stream through a web browser or app.
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News streaming apps – Apps like CBS News, ABC News, CNNgo, Sky News, Cheddar, and more air free 24/7 news channels.
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Other free ad-supported apps – Apps like Samsung TV Plus, Vizio WatchFree+, LG Channels, Plex, Kanopy, Hoopla, and more all offer free movies, shows, and live channels.
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Local channel apps – Many local TV network affiliates now offer apps to live stream their local broadcast channel for news and programming like The Bachelorette or Sunday Night Football.
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Retail streaming devices – Devices like Vizio and LG smart TVs have dedicated buttons to launch free/live channels from pre-installed streaming apps.
Cutting cable has never been easier thanks to the growing selection of free live TV available through Fire TV, Roku, smart TVs, websites, and apps.
What‘s Next for Live TV on Fire TV?
Amazon‘s heavy investment in live TV offerings on Fire TV aligns with multiple trends in their streaming strategy:
1. Competing with Roku and smart TV platforms
Integrating live channels helps Fire TV keep pace with Roku and major smart TV platforms that offer similar free ad-supported live channel options. This maintains Fire TV‘s appeal for cord-cutters seeking live TV.
2. Monetizing through ads
The ad-supported free channels also allow Amazon to grow their advertising business. Research shows 62% of ad-supported streaming viewers are open to relevant advertising in exchange for free content.
3. Priming users for a paid live TV service
Analysts speculate Amazon may launch their own live TV streaming service to compete with YouTube TV. Providing a robust lineup of free channels first gives Amazon an engaged audience to potentially upsell paid plans.
4. Increasing Prime Video engagement
Finally, the addition of live channels serves to keep Fire TV users engaged. Increased time spent streaming free live TV means more opportunities for Amazon to cross-promote and monetize their Prime Video originals.
Based on Amazon‘s streaming momentum, I anticipate even more live content and capabilities coming to Fire TV. We may see additional channel launches, tools like user profiles and watchlists, and tighter Alexa voice integration to enhance the live streaming experience.
It‘s an exciting time to be a Fire TV cord-cutter! Take advantage of the 200+ free live channels while also exploring complementary options like OTA antenna TV, free trials, and paid streaming services. Ditching cable has never been more accessible or affordable thanks to Fire TV‘s continually expanding live TV offerings.
