Amazon Launches Fire TV Channels, a New Hub for Free, Ad-Supported TV

Amazon has launched Fire TV Channels, a new hub for free, ad-supported TV (FAST) as part of its NewFronts presentation to advertisers in New York. Fire TV Channels is a dedicated home for programming that has already been drawing an audience on Fire TV. Monthly viewing hours of this emerging form of programming have risen 300% over the past six months, leading Amazon to green-light this new FAST home.

Amazon’s new channel hub adds the travel category to a mix of free fare spanning local and national news, sports highlights, music videos, lifestyle, entertainment, and other areas. It has 400 publishing and programming partners already in the fold, and new content from the NHL, Xbox, and TMZ is featured on Fire TV Channels at launch. Titles from new providers including Condé Nast and the PGA will soon be added.

The Amazon Fire TV stick is a media streaming device that lets you stream video, install apps, and play music on your TV. It is built on the Android platform and converts your normal TV into a smart TV. You can install Android apps on the device and play games and enjoy music too. It’s an HDMI stick, and all you need is an HDMI port on your television to use it.

Amazon’s foray into the world of free, ad-supported TV is yet another platform for Australian sports organizations to consider as they look to reach new audiences and monetise their content in innovative ways.