ATLANTA —Cox Media Group (CMG) has announced that its The $pend $mart Stream has launched on Amazon Fire TV Channels.

The agreement for carriage on Amazon Fire TV Channels more than doubles the reach of streaming service that offers financial advice to help consumers protect their money, spend wisely, grow wealth, save for retirement, avoid scams, and much more.

“We’re always trying to listen to what our audiences want, and $pend $mart is a direct result of what they told us,” said Marian Pittman, president of content for CMG. “$pend $mart is the latest in a line of content channels distributed by CMG that includes StreamAmerica, Gusto TV, Cheddar, Curiosity Now, and others.”

In addition to Fire TV Channels, $pend $mart is also available on the Local Now and NewsON apps and CMG’s owned-and-operated station websites and apps. All of these apps are available on mobile iOS, Android and CTV/Streaming platforms.

Amazon said it has sold more than 250 million Fire TV devices globally since the platform’s launch in 2014 and has added new devices to its lineup. They include the new Omni Mini-LED Series smart TV, which Amazon bills as its most powerful immersive smart TV.

“We’ve been working to make TVs even smarter for years, and in 2021, we created the Fire TV Omni Series—the first-ever Amazon-built TV designed to mix Fire TV’s content-rich entertainment experience with truly smart features that would take the TV to the next level,” Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Fire TV, said in a blog post.

Since then “customers have made smart TVs into Fire TV’s fastest-growing business,” Rausch wrote. To build on that momentum, “we’re excited to introduce Fire TV’s most cinematic and best-sounding living room lineups ever: the brand-new Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series and Fire TV Soundbar Plus Series, and a redesigned Fire TV 4-Series.”

The Omni Mini-LED Series features a cinematic QLED Mini-LED display and delivers up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness and up to 1,344 dimming zones—plus support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive—bringing out every detail with more vibrant colors, deeper blacks, and richer contrast, Amazon said. The lineup features built-in far-field technology to discover shows and movies, manage playback and control the Fire TV Ambient Experience hands-free using Alexa voice control. Available in a wide array of display sizes, the set introduces a number of new features into the Fire TV lineup, including:

• Intelligent picture technology, which combines artificial intelligence with the lineup’s new advanced light and color sensor to enhance picture quality by automatically identifying, analyzing, and optimizing scenes in real time, fine-tuning picture details like landscapes, buildings, sports, and more. The TV’s light and color sensor simultaneously detects the room’s lighting conditions, adjusting brightness and color temperature for optimal viewing—day or night.
• Prime Video’s new feature uses generative AI to recap what you’re watching, with X-Ray Recaps.
• Ambient Experience’s new immersive art. The lineup comes with a customer-favorite feature, the Fire TV Ambient Experience, which replaces blank TV screens with helpful information and beautiful artwork when not streaming. The TV’s brand-new high-fidelity radar sensor powers an upcoming delightful new feature within the Ambient Experience which transforms motion into art. When Ambient Experience is active, customers can see colorful scenes come to life—like fluttering butterflies, swimming koi fish, and colorful tiles—that dynamically respond to movement in front of the TV.
• Interactive artwork joins AI Art and a growing collection of more than 2,000 free, gallery-quality images available within the Ambient Experience. Customers are responding to Ambient Experience’s immersive innovations, generating millions of unique images since AI Art’s launch. And, later this month, we’re adding 100 new pieces of artwork including new motion art as well as landscape, underwater, and NASA space photography.
• Fire TV’s most cinematic smart TV audio experience yet. The lineup introduces support for Dolby Atmos audio—plus two powerful speakers and up to two built-in subwoofers—to deliver deep bass, clarity, and dynamic range for an immersive audio experience.
• Premium gaming features. The first Amazon-built TV with an AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certification, this lineup delivers a truly premium gaming experience. Combining Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low Latency Mode, and a new, lightning-fast 144Hz refresh rate in Gaming Mode, Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series eliminates visual artifacts and input lag, providing gamers with the competitive edge they need—whether they're immersed in fast-paced action, open-world adventures, or anything in between.
• Future-proof connectivity support for Wi-FI 6E. The lineup introduces support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, enabling customers with Wi-Fi 6E routers to future-proof their wireless connectivity and enjoy blazing fast, ultra-smooth, and low-latency streaming.
• In addition, the new Omni Mini-LED series will also expand Fire TV’s industry-leading support for the Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) protocol with Dual Audio. Coming soon, the new accessibility feature enables customers with ASHA-enabled hearing aids to get high-quality audio delivered directly to their hearing aids while others simultaneously listen through the TV’s speakers. Dual Audio builds on our work with global leaders in hearing aid technology, Starkey and Cochlear, to offer more Fire TV customers seamless audio integration with their assistive devices.

More information on other new devices are available here.

NEW YORK—Amazon today announced that it has added 15 FAST news channels from local NBC and Telemundo stations from top U.S. DMAs to its Amazon News app on Fire TV and Alexa on Echo Show. 

The deal follows a similar arrangement with Fox announced last month in which the network will provide 17 24/7 local FAST channels, one from each market covered by the Fox Television Stations, through the Amazon News app on Fire TV and Alexa on Echo Show devices.

NBCUniversal Local’s streaming channels (FAST) portfolio includes 11 NBC station local news channels, and four Telemundo station regional news channels powered by multiple stations in each region. The 24/7 local channels’ expanding distribution, which varies by channel, already includes Peacock, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel and Xumo Play. NBCUniversal has also made Peacock available on Fire TV, as well as TODAY All Day and Dateline 24/7 FAST Channels. In addition, network apps including NBC, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, Syfy, USA, Universal Kids, MSNBC, NBC News, CNBC, NBC Sports and Telemundo are available on Fire TV.

The channels now available on Fire TV include:

• Noticias Telemundo Noreste
• Noticias Telemundo California
• Noticias Telemundo Texas
• Noticias Telemundo Florida
• NBC New York News
• NBC Los Angeles News
• NBC Chicago News
• NBC Philadelphia News
• NBC Dallas News
• NBC Washington, D.C. News
• NBC Boston News
• NBC Bay Area News
• NBC South Florida News
• NBC San Diego News
• NBC Connecticut News

“We are excited to grow our existing partnership with Amazon, expanding the reach of our local news content to millions of people on Fire TV and Echo Show devices,” said Matt Schnaars, President, NBCUniversal Content Distribution. “News continues to be a top choice for viewers, and we are proud to reach new audiences with best-in-class journalism from our local stations.”

NEW YORK—Fox Television Stations (FTS) and Amazon are teaming up to distribute FTS’s local news content across Amazon’s devices. Effective immediately, FTS will provide 17 24/7 local, free, ad-supported television (FAST) channels, one from each market covered by the Fox Television Stations, through the Amazon News app on Fire TV and Alexa on Echo Show devices. 

“This important collaboration with Amazon further solidifies our commitment to bring FTS’s powerhouse local news content to as many people as possible,” said Jeff Zellmer, Senior Vice President, Digital Operations, Fox Television Stations. “We know that choice and accessibility matter to our viewers and this launch is another key step in our overall strategy and goal of giving our viewers the live and on-demand content from the stations they love.”

This collaboration began in March 2022 with the initial distribution of LiveNOW from FOX and FOX Soul FAST channels. In December 2022, FTS’s local news content debuted across Amazon products with the distribution of the first five stations: WTXF FOX 29 Philadelphia, KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco, KSAZ FOX 10 Phoenix, WJBK FOX 2 Detroit, and KMSP FOX 9 Minneapolis. 

The remaining 12, WNYW FOX 5 New York, KTTV FOX 11 Los Angeles, WFLD FOX 32 Chicago, KDFW FOX 4 Dallas, WAGA FOX 5 Atlanta, KRIV FOX 26 Houston, WTTG FOX 5 DC, KCPQ FOX 13 Seattle, WTVT FOX 13 Tampa Bay, WOFL FOX 35 Orlando, KTBC FOX 7 Austin and WITI FOX 6 Milwaukee, are now available across Amazon products, such as Fire TV and Echo Show devices. In addition to live content, FTS is also distributing local news video on demand (VOD) clips.

Amazon’s News app on Fire TV is a free and customizable news aggregator supported with advertising. The app comes built into the Fire TV experience on all Fire TV streaming media players and smart TVs in the U.S. When viewers open the News app on the Fire TV home screen for the first time, they can select the news that matters most to them from national and local sources.

Customers in the U.S. can also watch local news channels in 250 cities from more than 300 local news providers on Echo Show devices. With this update, Amazon says Alexa will make it easier to learn about the latest news stories in local communities from Fox Local News—all hands-free. Just say, “Alexa play Phoenix news,” “Alexa play Seattle news,” etc. to get started.

Fox Television Stations owns and operates 29 full power broadcast television stations in the U.S. including stations located in nine of the top ten largest designated market areas (DMAs)

NEW YORK, N.Y.—NBCUniversal Local has announced that its NBC and Telemundo owned station apps are now available on Amazon Fire TV. 

The NBC and Telemundo station apps on Fire TV allow users to access content produced by 11 NBC owned stations, 23 Telemundo owned stations and New England Cable News (NECN) – including local news, weather and investigative reporting.

“We want to serve audiences on the platforms they prefer to deliver easy access to our best-in-class apps and the local news, information and storytelling that matters to them,” said Lora Dennis, executive vice president, digital media, NBCUniversal Local. “Fire TV is another great addition to our growing distribution portfolio for our apps.”

The launch on Fire TV follows the summer 2021 unveiling of newly redesigned NBC and Telemundo apps that make it easier for English and Spanish-speaking audiences to access their communities’ latest news and weather forecasts, while offering users an array of in-app customization options.

Users can also access NBC and Telemundo station apps on Roku and Apple TV. Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming platform, which gives audiences access to NBC owned stations local news playlists through it’s ‘News’ tab. 

NEW YORK— NBCU’s Peacock streaming service will finally bow on Amazon's Fire TV devices on June 24, nearly a year after the SVOD service was launched nationwide and more than a year after it first became available on Comcast systems.

The long-running dispute highlighted the growing power that streaming platforms like Amazon's Fire TV and Roku have in the rapidly expanding OTT marketplace. 

The deal will give the service access to Amazon’s large user base and will help NBCU’s Olympic coverage plans. 

The company separately announced some of its plans to stream Olympic coverage on Peacock starting July 15. 

The deal also included an agreement for NBCUniversal network apps to be carried on Fire TV and Fire Tablets.  NBCUniversal’s 15 network apps on these Amazon devices will include NBC, Bravo, NBC News, NBC Sports and Telemundo, among others.

“We look forward to building on our existing partnership with Fire TV’s millions of customers and offering them Peacock’s undeniable line-up of original, library and film content,” said Matt Bond, chairman of content distribution for NBCU, in a statement. “This marks another great step in reaching audiences everywhere with the breadth of NBCUniversal’s full entertainment, film, Hispanic, news and sports portfolio.”

The companies noted that the Peacock app will launch on Fire TVs and Fire tablets starting Thursday June 24 and will be compatible with the entire Fire TV product line-up including Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick Lite, and Fire TV smart TV. 

At launch, Fire TV customers can search for and open Peacock using their voice with Alexa just by saying “Alexa, open Peacock.” 

Full Alexa title integration will roll out later this year, which will allow customers to navigate the entire Peacock catalog from the Alexa Voice Remote, or by using voice from across the room with Fire TV Cube or by pairing an Echo device to any Fire TV streaming media stick or Fire TV smart TV, the companies said.

In terms of Olympic coverage Peacock today announced it will launch a Tokyo Olympics destination on July 15, featuring live coverage of some of the Games’ biggest events, including gymnastics, track and field, and the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team’s pursuit of their fourth straight gold.

As part of the coverage, Peacock will feature new daily live shows, original programming, Olympics channels, full event replays and curated highlights of NBC Olympics’ coverage. All of Peacock’s Tokyo Olympics programming will be available to stream for free, with the exception of USA Men’s Basketball live coverage that will be available to Peacock Premium subscribers. 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Sling TV has launched a beta version of its app on Amazon Fire devices that is more personalized for users, has an improved user interface and features a new home screen, a redesigned guide, and other features that will make it easier to find content. 

The beta version launched on Amazon Fire TV devices on May 25th, with plans to rollout the revamped app to all Sling TV compatible devices throughout this year, including availability on Roku devices this summer.

"Our goal with the new app is clear: to make our customer experience as compelling as the extraordinary live content we deliver," explained Michael Schwimmer, group president, Sling TV, who also noted that the new app was based on a "a year of talking to customers and working with our design and advanced engineering teams."

In addition to the redesigned home screen and reimagined guide, the app features an easy-to-use DVR with 50 hours of free DVR storage, an enhanced video experience for pausing and recording live TV, more intuitive navigation and smart search features for easier content discovery. 

SEATTLE—Users across 88 markets in the U.S. can now access news from local TV stations through their Amazon Fire TV app, a significant boost from the 12 the service launched with at the end of 2020.

The Amazon news app was launched on Dec. 7, 2020, offering local news from New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle. Per an Amazon Fire TV blog post, this expansion will add local news coverage from the likes of Detroit, Phoenix, New Orleans, Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C.

The channel offerings now available with this latest expansion include ABC Owned Television stations, CBSN, Tegna, Cox, E.W. Scripps Company and Altice USA, as well as the previous available ABC News Live, CBS News, Reuters, Cheddar, Entertainment Weekly, Black News Channel, Bloomberg and more.

When launching the Amazon news app, Amazon Fire TV said it expected to have 90 markets covered by the end of 2021, which it is just two shy of with this latest announcement.

The Amazon news app is free and is customizable for users to select the market and news sources that matter most to them.

For a full list of the markets now available through the Amazon news app, visit the Amazon Fire TV blog. 

SEATTLE—Amazon has brought local news stations to its Amazon Fire TV users, announcing that local stations from 12 cities are now available on the Amazon news app, with more expected to be added in 2021.

Live and on-demand local news content from New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle are now available via the Amazon news app. Amazon expects to add about 90 cities in 2021, with the service continuing to expand over time.

These stations will join national news programs already available on the Amazon app.

“There have been so many important events and stories in 2020 that have driven the news industry like never before; and we believe it’s more important than ever to provide free access to both local and national news for all of our customers,” said Sandeep Gupta, vice president of Amazon Fire TV.

News, particularly local news, has seen an increase in viewing during the pandemic.

The Amazon news app is built into and free on Amazon Fire TV. For information, visit Amazon Fire TV’s blog. 

NEW YORK—HBO Max is rolling out on Amazon Fire TV streaming devices, Fire TV Edition Smart TVs and Fire tablets as of Tuesday, Nov. 17, according to an announcement from WarnerMedia.

As of Nov. 17, current subscribers of HBO through Amazon Prime Video channels will be able to log in to the HBO Max app with their Amazon credentials at no additional cost. The HBO app on Fire TV and Fire tablets will automatically update to become the HBO Max app. All HBO Max customers can now access all of HBO Max through Amazon Fire TV devices, including the new Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite.

With the new compatibility, customers can now use Alexa devices to access and navigate the HBO Max app through voice commands, per WarnerMedia—i.e. “Alexa, find HBO Max.” HBO Max content is also now integrated into universal search for Fire TV.

“Our continued goal is to make HBO Max and its unparalleled content available to customers across all the devices they love,” said Tony Gonclaves, head of sales and distribution for WarnerMedia. “Fire TV is a favorite among customers and we look forward to working with the Amazon team to engage and grow our existing subscriber base by showcasing all that HBO Max has to offer.”

WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, HBO Max launched in May featuring content from HBO, Warner Bros. DC, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Turner Classic Movies. At launch, HBO Max was not available on Amazon Fire TV or another popular streaming service, Roku; it is still not available on Roku.

TYSONS, Va.—Tegna TV stations are coming to Amazon Fire TV, with OTT apps for all of Tegna’s stations expected to be available by the end of 2020. In addition, Tegna has updated its stations’ OTT apps for Roku.

Tegna’s OTT station apps offer free, ad-supported access to live news and recent news broadcasts, breaking news and weather forecasts, as well as Tegna’s “Daily Blast LIVE” live entertainment program. A “Watch” feature has also been added to the stations’ websites and mobile apps.

Already available for Roku users, Tegna says that with the launch of OTT station apps on Amazon Fire TV its stations will be available to about 70% of the U.S. market.

True Crime Network, which Tegna owns, has also been added to Roku after initially launching on Amazon Fire TV and other platforms in August.

“Our latest rollout of station apps, along with broadcast, web, social media and mobile apps combine to deliver a complete, multiplatform experience for viewers however they consume news and entertainment content,” said Adam Ostrow, chief digital officer at Tegna.

SEATTLE—Amazon has launched the Text Banner feature on Fire TV, a new accessibility tool designed specifically for customers whose vision is impaired by things like macular degeneration, glaucoma and others.

Text Banner consolidates text into a compact, written banner that appears in a fixed location on the screen. The entire Fire TV user interface, Prime Video and other applications work with Text Banner.

This is another accessibility tool developed by Amazon, following previously developed features like VoiceView and Screen Magnifier.

Text Banner can be enabled within Settings, under Accessibility.

For more information, visit Amazon’s website. 

CULVER CITY, Calif.—TikTok has launched its first TV app on Amazon Fire TV devices.

"More on TikTok" features curated video playlists and compilations from the mobile TikTok app, as well as interviews with creators, along with other content that runs over the one-minute limit on the phone app.

The app is a view-only channel, so users won’t need to log in, and it won’t enable them to upload videos.

More on TikTok will be free at launch and will not carry advertising. It is currently only available in the United States.

The launch comes as President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating TikTok is a threat to national security and U.S. companies must cut all ties with the Chinese company by Sept. 15.

TikTok released a statement regarding the president's order, claiming that it was issued without "any due process" or paying attention to facts, as the company says it has tried to work with the administration for the last year.

"This Executive Order risks undermining global businesses' trust in the United States' commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth," the statement read. "And it sets a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets. We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and our users are treated fairly – if not by the Administration, then by the US courts."

LAS VEGAS—If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. That seems to be the motive behind the announcement this week when the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), a group representing more than 750 rural broadband and cable operators in all 50 states, announced a new initiative that allows NCTC member companies to purchase Amazon Fire TV streaming devices at a discount.

The new discount program will enable NCTC's member companies to provide their subscribers with high-quality streaming media devices, including Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K, and Fire TV Cube. Operators may offer the Fire TV devices bundled with their pay-TV video service offerings or in conjunction with their broadband services. NCTC expects to begin offering the discounted Fire TV products to NCTC's member companies in the coming weeks.

"As more of our members deploy app-based pay-TV offerings, having the option to purchase Amazon Fire TV streaming devices at a discount will help our broadband and cable operator members retain video customers by creating affordable options that do not rely on a traditional set-top box. These devices are a great compliment to services like MobiTV or for broadband only offerings by our members," said Rich Fickle, president of NCTC. "NCTC is committed to creating new ways for independent cable and broadband providers to delight customers by offering the products and services that today's video and broadband consumers want."

SEATTLE—Amazon is expanding its Fire TV Edition program, enabling the entertainment service to be used across things like smart TVs and streaming media players, as well as new avenues like auto manufacturers and soundbars. The updated Fire TV will offer specific tools and services to better integrate it into products.

For the first time, Amazon is expanding its Fire TV program to automakers, announcing a partnership with BMW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. This will enable living room-like experiences in the car with hands-free access to Alexa, a touchscreen interface and offline playback capabilities. Content can be recorded with Fire TV Recast or saved locally on-device, or streamed over a vehicle’s Wi-Fi, LTE, mobile hotspot or any WAN-enabled device.

After releasing the first Fire TV Edition soundbar from Anker innovations in September 2019, Amazon has announced a second model now available, the TCL Alto 8+ Soundbar-Fire TV Edition. Both soundbars support acoustic performance, with tuned speaker drivers and support for Dolby Digital Plus. Amazon announced that it is working with Anker, Polk Audio and Tonly on new soundbar systems. It also expects to offer Dolby Atmos support, compatible device control, HDMI switching and far-field voice control to its soundbars later this year.

Television and telecommunication operators will also now have easier access for offering Fire TV to their customers, Amazon announced. Following Fire TV partnerships with Tata Sky in India and Verizon in the U.S., operators in North America, India, Europe and Japan can choose an appropriate Fire TV offering as well as merchandising opportunities.

Amazon has also announced a new partnership with Skyworth for a turnkey solution for smart TVs to create 4K and Full-HD TVs as part of its international expansion with more brands. More Fire TV Edition smart TVs are expected to be released in the U.S., Canada, India, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Spain and Mexico in 2020.

More information is available at Amazon.com.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Google announced today that YouTube has returned to Amazon Fire TV devices and that Amazon Prime is now available on Google’s Chromecast and Android TV devices. Google had removed the YouTube app from Fire TV in late December 2017 over competitive disputes.

Although YouTube could previously be accessed over Fire TV’s browser, it was a clunky workaround for Fire TV users and didn’t provide full functionality. Now, the YouTube app is supported on Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen), Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Stick Basic Edition and Toshiba, Insignia, Element and Westinghouse Fire TV Edition smart TVs.

Google says additional device support will roll out in the coming months, and YouTube TV and YouTube Kids will launch later this year. YouTube is now available on more than 1 billion living room devices, from smart TVs to gaming consoles and streaming media sticks, according to Strategy Analytics.

Google also announced that its Chromecast (along with Chromecast-enable devices) will now carry Amazon Prime Video and is also expanding access to Prime on more Android TV devices. Subscribers will need the latest Prime Video app and Android 5.0 or higher or iOS 10.1 or higher on their phone or tablet to receive the update.

The two companies announced an agreement that ended their dispute over their respective apps earlier this year.

Amazon announced in May that Fire TV now has more than 34 million users. 

SEATTLE—While there are a number of different services available to deliver live content to consumers these days, Amazon Fire TV has a new feature that will bring it all into a single location. Amazon has announced the creation of a “Live” tab on all Fire devices and Fire TV edition smart TVs, which features live sports, news and channels from select OTT services, streaming apps, paid subscriptions and over-the-air antennas.

The new feature works with Fire TV live TV integrated apps, which include Pluto TV, Red Bull TV, PlayStation Vue, Philo and the Prime Video Channels feature. Fire TV Edition smart TVs and Fire TV Recast devices can also add antenna channels to the live tab.

The Live tab is found right next to the Home tab. When viewing the Live tab, it will show the most recent channels viewed across all of the integrated apps, have genre rows and rows for specific integrated apps or antenna channels. Amazon says that the order of the rows can be customized.

Amazon will make the Live tab available for Fire TV customers in the next week.

ATLANTA—The NewsON streaming service offering local news content from 179 U.S. TV stations is coming to Amazon Fire TV as a free app, the streaming news aggregator announced today.

"We are excited to bring NewsON to a brand new audience on Amazon Fire TV," said Derek Van Nostran, head of marketing for NewsON.

The NewsON app gives users instant access to live and on-demand video newscasts from 123 U.S. markets. Streaming and on-demand content currently is available from stations in 13 different ownership groups, and 50 more stations are in the process of becoming available on the app over the next few months, the company said.

The company has garnered significant user engagement with its app. Total OTT viewing time has surpassed 80,000 hours per day, and the average time spent with it per session exceeds one hour, NewsON said.

"With our consistently strong growth in viewer engagement, NewsON has become a leading source of trusted live and on-demand local news for OTT consumers," added Van Nostran.

The app, available for mobile and connected TV devices, offers instant access to broadcast-quality video. Users can find and watch breaking news coverage from multiple local stations in markets around the country. Available for iOS, Android, Roku and Amazon Fire TV, the app is free to download.

More information is available on the company’s website.

Streaming provider fuboTV announced that it plans to carry Fox Sports’ (FS1) UHD-HDR coverage of selected NCAA football games starting with San Diego State-Stanford matchup on Aug. 31.Other games to be covered in ultra-high definition, high dynamic range include W. Michigan vs. Michigan Sept. 8 and Fresno State at UCLA on Sept. 15, as well as other PAC12 and Big 10 games during the season.

The collaboration extends fuboTV’s relationship with Fox Sports when fuboTV launched its 4K HDR Beta service carrying FS1’s coverage of the World Cup in July as well as FS1’s coverage of a recent Yankees-Red Sox duel in UHD HDR. This is the second year FS1 has covered NCAA football games in UHD HDR. 

[Read: Dish Kicks Off 4K Broadcasts Of Fox Sports College Football]

To view the games in fuboTV’s 4K HDR10 Beta format, subscribers will need to have a 4K HDR-enabled television, HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 compatible cable and run the fuboTV app on a streaming device that supports the format, which includes Android Mobile Phones with HDR10 displays and Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV and Roku devices. Bandwidth speeds of 30Mbps-40Mbps or higher are recommended. 4K HDR-capable TVs may also need calibration to present the content correctly. For subscribers without 4K HDR hardware, this content will continue to be available in its usual formats.

fuboTV says it will also offer additional sports and, for the first time, entertainment programming in 4K HDR Beta in the coming months. 

BURBANK, CALIF.—Amazon Fire TV is ready for some football, pairing with the Minnesota Vikings to bring streaming content to fans. The recently launched “Minnesota Vikings Now” app uses the dotstudioPRO platform to enable the Vikings Entertainment Network to manage and distribute content to Amazon Fire TV on its own AVOD channel.

The channel features exclusive programming and full episodes of “Vikings Connected,” “Beyond the Gridiron” and “Vikings Gameplan.” The app will also provide NFL network segments and highights.

The official press release says that the Vikings are the first NFL team to stream content on Amazon Fire TV.

To view the channel on Amazon Fire TV, search “Vikings Now” with any compatible device.

LAS VEGAS—Amazon is joining Roku and Google in embedding the capabilities of media-streaming dongles and set-top boxes into TVs.

Amazon Fire TV Edition 4K TVs let consumers select over-the-air TV channels, video streaming services, and apps from a single integrated onscreen user interface

At CES, value-priced TV brands Westinghouse Electronics, Seiki and Element Electronics each launched four Amazon Fire TV Edition 4K UItra HD TVs, which are targeted to cord cutters. They run on the Amazon Fire TV OS, access the same Cloud-based content as Fire TV media streamers, and integrate over-the-air TV channels, streaming content, and apps into a single onscreen interface. The UI makes it unnecessary to toggle between separate streaming and over-air broadcast menus, the company said.

The TVs can also be controlled by voice via an Alexa-enabled remote.

Each brand, owned by Tongfang Global of Diamond Bar, Calif., will offer 43-, 50-, 55- and 65-inch Fire-equipped TVs, which will be available before the end of the second quarter. Prices weren’t disclosed.

Element TVs are available in such chains as Walmart, Target and Meijer. Westinghouse TVs are primarily sold through Best Buy and Target, and Seiki TVs are primarily sold through Amazon and hhgregg, said Tongfang marketing VP Sung Choi.

The Fire TV models will offer some features not available in the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Fire TV set-top box, including the integration of streaming and over-the-air TV content into a single UI. The TVs also sport a different look and feel plus more memory, a spokesman said.

The TVs’ Alexa Voice Remote taps the Alexa Voice Service to enable natural-language voice control of the TVs’ media-streaming apps, over-the-air channel changing, and “skills,” including control of smart-home devices from more than 50 companies, including select Samsung and GE major appliances.

A total of more than 3,000 skills can be activated by voice with voice responses, including purchasing items on Amazon, ordering an Uber ride or Domino’s pizza, asking questions of Wikipedia, creating shopping lists, checking personal calendars, getting traffic reports and the like.

Consumers can use their voice to select more than 300,000 TV episodes and movies available through the TVs’ video apps, including Amazon Video, Netflix, HBO Go, Showtime Anytime and Sling TV, which offers live TV-channel streaming.

The voice remote lets users search across apps for TV shows, movies, actors and genres. Alexa on Fire TVs “provides a similar if not identical voice experience to Alexa on Echo-family devices [speakers],” a spokesman said.

In the future, Amazon plans to deliver Alexa control of Fire-equipped TVs through the far-field microphones built into the $179.99 Amazon Echo and $49.99 Echo Dot Wi-Fi/Bluetooth speakers, enabling users to engage in a conversation with Alexa from across a room, Westinghouse said.

Amazon also plans deeper integration of Alexa voice control into core Fire TV entertainment experiences, such as scene navigation and voice control of third-party apps, Westinghouse noted. Amazon also wants to coordinate media playback across Alexa-enabled devices.

TV features: The TVs support such 4K streaming services as Netflix and Amazon. Specs include 3GB RAM, 16GB of onboard storage, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, four HDMI 2.0 inputs supporting 60Hz 4K video and HDCP 2.2, Ethernet port and two USB inputs, one of which is USB 3.0. They lack high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut but will be Netflix-certified.

Smart-home integration: For smart-home adopters, the brands that integrate with Alexa read like a who’s who of smart-home suppliers. Suppliers of Alexa-compatible smart-home hubs include HomeSeer, Ingersoll Rand’s Nexia, Insteon, Logitech Harmony, Lowe’s Iris, MyFox, Samsung SmartThings and Wink.

Control4, which sells custom-installed smart-home systems, recently added Alexa voice control, as have ADT, Alarm.com and Vivint, the suppliers of professionally installed security and smart-home systems.

In addition, multiple brands of smart plugs, in-wall dimmer switches, smart bulbs, thermostats and door locks talk to Alexa.

For the latest news on CES, visit our sister publication, and publisher of the official CES Daily, TWICE magazine.

BURBANK, CALIF.—A number of local ABC owned stations are making the jump to OTT, as Disney | ABC has announced new streaming apps that will be available on Amazon Fire TV. Eight local stations—WLS-TV/Chicago; WABC-TV/New York; KABC-TV/Los Angeles; WPVI-TV/Philadelphia; KGO-TV/San Francisco; KTRK-TV/Houston; WTVD-TV/Raleigh-Durham; and KFSN-TV/Fresno—will now have their own OTT app. In addition, Disney | ABC has announced the launch of a Freeform stream app.

The Amazon Fire TV apps for the local stations will include local news, weather and community news. This will include an evening video digest featuring major news from the day, a “Feel Good” section with inspirational news stories, and a weather section offering a seven-day forecast and video clips.

The new Freeform app will allow users to stream Freeform shows that include “Pretty Little Liars,” “Shadowhunters” and “The Fosters” live and on-demand on desktops, mobile and connected TV devices.

Disney | ABC has also announced that its ABC streaming app has an updated user interface and is now supported across all devices. 

NEW YORK—TV metric provider Nielsen announced that, effective April 25, 2016, it will make brand-level data for streaming video devices and game consoles available. The sampling will include connected peripherals such as Xbox, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, PlayStation, Nintendo and Wii boxes. In addition, Nielsen will add information from enabled smart TVs.

Clients will be able to track how many homes across the country own TV-connected devices, which brands that they own, and the growth of these brands over time. Clients will also be able to study how much time people spend with these devices overall and, for Nielsen measured content, link viewing to programs to these specific devices.

This new data is from Nielsen’s national television panel. The 40,000 households that comprise the National panel contain over 100,000 TV sets and over 50,000 TV connected devices measured by Nielsen, the firm said.

In addition to brand-level data, Nielsen is creating a new viewing source bucket called Total Use of Television that adds TV-connected device usage to traditional television usage for a complete view of the use of the TV set.

“The granularity of the brand-level data for TV-connected devices provides clients with in-depth insights into which devices consumers are using to access video content through their TV screens,” said Sara Erichson, executive vice president of Client Solutions and Audience Insights for Nielsen. “The ability to know how many consumers use which brands of TV connected devices, for how often and for how long, is critical for clients who need to make informed content decisions and understand their total audience.”