Amazon's Fire TV Channels App Ignites Rivalry With Netflix, Disney: Report

Amazon.Com Inc AMZN has unveiled its latest offering, the Fire TV Channels app, aimed at providing Fire TV users with a comprehensive selection of over 400 free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels fueling rivalry with the likes of Netflix, Inc NFLX and Walt Disney Co DIS. 

Some of the significant channels included in this rollout feature big names like ABC News, Fox Sports, and MLB, among others. Furthermore, with expanding their content repertoire, partnerships have been formed with renowned content providers like Variety, Rolling Stone, and The Hollywood Reporter, to name a few.

Also Read: Amazon Launches New Unit To Distribute its Movies and TV Shows

The company initially launched the Fire TV Channels initiative in May. It offered a unified platform for users to seamlessly explore many live and on-demand titles, spanning various genres such as sports, entertainment, and cooking. 

Users can quickly locate the Fire TV Channels app within the "Your Apps and Channels" section or initiate it using voice commands with Alexa. A simple "Play Fire TV Channels" would suffice. 

Interestingly, users don't need to download additional content to enjoy the FAST channels on their Fire TV. TechCrunch reports.

Rise Of FAST Platforms: It's evident that as more consumers opt to sever ties with traditional cable subscriptions, the allure of FAST platforms is increasing.

Amazon, not one to lag, has been proactive in its pursuit to dominate this domain. 

Their Freevee platform, another Amazon marvel, showcased impressive growth, surpassing its competition, including platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi, and Crackle, during the first half of 2023. 

According to Samba TV, Freevee's viewership experienced an 11% increase year-over-year.

Amazon disclosed plans to introduce an extensive array of Amazon Original series on Freevee to ensure viewers remain engaged. 

In addition, the platform will soon feature 23 new FAST channels, thanks to collaborations with media giants such as Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc WBD and MGM.

AMZN Price Action: AMZN shares traded higher by 0.89% at $135.88 premarket on the last check Tuesday.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.