In this article, you will learn how to watch live TV on your FireStick for free. I will cover the official apps and explain how to install them on your Fire TV Stick.
How to Watch Live TV on FireStick (Free & Official Apps to Watch Live TV Channels)
In this guide, I will focus on the best apps for watching free live TV on FireStick.
All the apps on this list are official, and you can download them from the Amazon Store.
We have not included any unofficial or third-party apps.
While premium live TV services charge a subscription fee, the free apps are ad-supported.
What I really like is that most of these apps have minimal and non-intrusive ads.
For FireStick Users
ISPs, hackers, and other third-party entities worldwide may monitor your online activities. For security, privacy, and smooth streaming, it is recommended to use a reliable VPN for FireStick. Your IP address is visible to sites you visit.
I recommend ExpressVPN, a fast and secure VPN. It is very easy to install on any device, including an Amazon Fire TV Stick. Also, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don't like their service, you can always ask for a refund. ExpressVPN also has a special deal where you can get 4 months free and save 81% on the 2-year plan.
Here is our list of the best apps to watch live TV on FireStick.
1. Pluto TV
Pluto TV is among the most popular live TV apps in the United States and beyond. Paramount Streaming, a division of Paramount Global, owns the ad-supported free streaming service.
This streaming service offers at least 250 live TV channels and thousands of free movies and TV shows.
The app is supported on various devices, including the Fire TV Stick, PC, Android, and iOS. It is lightweight and visually appealing, with an easy-to-navigate user interface. You can explore content via live TV and on-demand tabs or use the search feature at the top.
Pluto TV is suitable for streaming live TV programs and on-demand content for free on FireStick. The streaming quality is superb, with video ranging from 720p to 1080p.
How to Install Pluto TV on FireStick
2. Amazon News App
The Amazon News app is available directly from the Amazon App Store and does not require a separate download. Simply open the app to start watching breaking news and the latest updates in business, sports, entertainment, and politics.
This app lets you watch popular updates within your locality. A New York user will receive news about New York and the surrounding areas, while a New Jersey streamer will view news related to New Jersey. It is available in up to 80 cities across the US.
The app largely depends on news updates from popular channels in your area. These channels include ABC News, FOX Weather, Fox Sports, CBS Sports HQ, USA Today, People, and Bloomberg TV+.
Overall, the Amazon News App is one of the best official and free live TV apps for Fire TV.
3. Tubi
Tubi is a leading free streaming service with at least 97 million monthly users. It offers thousands of high-quality on-demand movies, TV shows, anime, documentaries, etc. The Fox Corporation-owned service recently introduced Tubi originals featuring original movies and TV shows.
In addition to the VOD library, Tubi offers a vast selection of live TV channels, including a few Fox-affiliated news channels, sports, entertainment, travel, outdoor, and lifestyle channels. If you want to watch day-to-day TV topics like politics, business, pop culture, and sports, Tubi’s 260-plus live channels have much to offer.
Another reason Tubi is a great choice is its multi-device compatibility. Streaming is hassle-free, whether you use a FireStick, a smart TV, an Android TV Box, or a smartphone.
As we established earlier, free official live TV apps offer limited availability. For Tubi, the service is geo-restricted to the US, Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. However, with a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN, you can watch Tubi from anywhere.
How to Install Tubi on FireStick
4. XUMO
Xumo, also known as XumoPlay, is another fast-rising platform for streaming free TV and on-demand content. It is a joint venture between Comcast and Charter Communications.
With XumoPlay, you can access over 250 live TV channels and thousands of movies and TV shows. The live TV section offers a lot of content, including sports, news, weather, lifestyle, and nature.
All this content is free. You don’t need to sign up for an account to start watching. In addition to the free TV and on-demand content, the streaming service has begun producing Xumo originals. If you want something different from mainstream videos, XumoPlay is a good choice.
XumoPlay is supported on various streaming devices, including the Amazon Fire TV. It can be downloaded directly from the Amazon App Store.
How to Install XUMO on FireStick
5. Plex
Plex is a free streaming app for live TV and on-demand content. It has an impressive library of over 600 live TV networks, including news, lifestyle, weather, movies, nature, sports, and entertainment channels.
The platform has a diverse content collection and streams 24/7. If you have switched from cable TV to IPTV, Plex is a great place to start.
Despite being free, the high-quality streaming makes it stand out from other live TV apps. You can access the content as a guest or register for a Plex account to help synchronize your watchlist.
It is also available in many countries, unlike others that are restricted to the US region. Popular networks in the lineup include CBS Sports HQ, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, ION Television, CBS, and Crime 360. International channels such as Reuters, BBC Earth, and PBS are also available.
How to Install Plex on FireStick
6. Very Local
Looking for a live TV app to watch local content like breaking news, developing stories, and special programs? Very Local is a good choice. This live TV streaming app offers local news, weather, and other content near you.
It is free to use, and no sign-up is required to access the live feed. Install the app, select your city, and stream live updates. I like Very Local because it offers more than the live streams.
You can watch on-demand documentaries on interesting topics like travel, adventure, local lifestyle, economic activities, and more. At the same time, you can catch up on already-aired content, such as recorded episodes of popular shows.
The only issue with Very Local is its limited availability. The app is not available in all US states and cities. Some cities on Very Local’s radar include Baltimore, Jackson, Cincinnati, and Birmingham.
Before installing the app on your FireStick, verify whether it is available in your region. The app offers incredible updates, from news and weather to documentaries.
How to Install and Use Very Local on FireStick
7. AnthymTV
Anthym TV is another free streaming app for watching live TV and on-demand content on FireStick. The content appeals to lovers of indie productions, such as sports, fights, news, true crime, nature documentaries, and outdoor content.
This app features an attractive, easy-to-navigate user interface inspired by Tubi, Pluto TV, and Xumo. You can explore the content by category, mainly Live TV and on-demand.
Most content is free, from movies and TV shows to originals and live channels. It is a great streaming platform for fans of first-responder content, including 911 Network, Hero-Cam, and CCTV. However, some content is hidden behind a paywall. You can access the premium content by subscribing to the in-app subscription.
8. The Roku Channel
Roku Channel is another popular app for streaming free live TV. The app is supported on multiple devices, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues.
It is popular for live TV channels, movies, TV shows, kids’ content, and documentaries. Most of the content is free and ad-supported. However, you can purchase premium live TV packages to watch premium cable TV networks.
Some live TV networks on the free plan include Dateline, ION, ABC News Live, NBC News, and CBC News. You can also watch episodes of your favorite live TV shows, such as Divorce Court, Family Feud, Forensic Files, and Crime 360.
The Roku Channel app is visually appealing, lightweight, and easy to navigate. Overall, it’s one of the best FireStick apps for watching live TV and on-demand content.
9. Airy TV
Airy TV started as a destination for watching free live TV, but has since included a VOD section. This no-contract, no-conditions-free streaming app offers up to 50 live TV channels for news, sports, entertainment, and kids’ content.
It also includes over 10,000 episodes of TV shows from the 1980s and 90s, and more than 1,000 movies. All these videos are buffer-free and high-quality.
For sports lovers, Airy TV has a lot to offer. Whether you like wrestling, boxing, rugby, baseball, motor racing, gymnastics, or tennis, there is something to watch on this app.
The content is cloud-based, making Airy TV a lightweight app. This is a good feature for an app, given the limited space on your FireStick.
How to Install Airy TV on FireStick
10. DistroTV
Distro TV is a fast-rising live TV streaming app that offers over 150 live channels. These channels broadcast various content, including news, entertainment, celebrity and reality, sports, and lifestyle shows.
The content is divided into English, Desi (Indian and South Asian), and Spanish channels.
The app is supported on various home streaming devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, and Apple TV.
Distro TV also features an on-demand section. This section offers hundreds of movies, documentaries, TV shows, celebrity videos, reality TV shows, and lifestyle programs. All this content is free, but it is ad-supported.
While Distro TV is popular in North America and Mexico, the streaming service is available globally.
How to Install an Official FireStick Live TV
Before we reveal the list of best legal live TV apps, here’s a quick tutorial on installing an official live TV app on your FireStick. For reference, I’m installing Pluto TV:
1. On your FireStick home screen, click Find – the Magnifying Glass icon.
2. Scroll down and select the Search box.
3. Using the on-screen keyboard layout, type Pluto TV and select it from the suggestions list.
4. Select the Pluto TV tile from the search results.
5. On Pluto TV’s dashboard, click the Get/Download button.
Note: I see the Download cloud icon, as I had previously installed it on my FireStick.
6. Wait for the Pluto TV downloading & installation to complete.
7. The button will change to Open once the app is available to launch on your FireStick.
That’s how you install an official live TV app on FireStick.
How to Install DistroTV on FireStick
How to Install a VPN on FireStick
For a smooth buffering-free streaming experience, I recommend using a premium VPN service. I trust ExpressVPN; you can install it by following the steps below.
Step 1: Subscribe to ExpressVPN HERE. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can use it free for the first 30 days, and if you are not satisfied with the performance (which is highly unlikely), you can ask for a full refund.
Step 2: Power ON your Fire TV Stick and go to Find, followed by the Search option.
Step 3: Now type “Expressvpn” (without quotes) in the search bar and select ExpressVPN when it appears in the search results.
Step 4: Click Download to install the ExpressVPN app on Fire TV / Stick.
Step 5: Open the app and enter the login credentials you created while buying the ExpressVPN subscription. Click Sign in.
Step 6: Click the Power icon to connect to a VPN server. That’s all. Your connection is now secure with the fastest and best VPN for FireStick.
Wrapping Up
That’s how you can watch free live TV on FireStick. We recommend using free and legal apps, as they are safe and legitimate. For added privacy, consider using a VPN to help prevent ISP throttling and protect your online activity. A VPN encrypts your data, adding an extra layer of security against potential threats.
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