Amazon is releasing an update for its Fire TV range of devices, and it"s all about a focus on live television programming. There are new "On Now" and "Channel Guide" sections of the UI, which will allow you to sort through the content that you subscribe to.
Unfortunately, it"s limited to Amazon Channels, so don"t expect it to integrate with your Sling TV subscription. In fact, the only Channels that it works with are HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax, although Amazon says that it will add more Channels in the future. Along with being able to see what"s on right now, you can also scroll into future times, so you"ll be able to see what"s on later. It works similarly to any digital TV guide.
Naturally, this also works with Alexa, so you"ll either need a Voice Remote or a connected Echo device to do this. Users can tell Alexa to watch any of the Channels that they subscribe to by saying something like, "Alexa, watch HBO."
This adds to the value proposition of Amazon Channels, because they tend to cost the same as a standalone service. For example, HBO costs $15 per month as a Channel, or as an HBO Now subscription. As we mentioned in our guide to cord-cutting, it"s helpful to have this content consolidated into one place, rather than scattered throughout different apps.