Amazon officially announced its long-rumored ad-supported news video service Tuesday. The new service will be available on Fire TV devices as well as Fire tablets, and rely on videos from publishers including CBS News, Reuters, Huffington Post, Bloomberg, People, Cheddar and others.
Amazon says you’ll be to watch the platform on Fire TV devices, including compatible smart TVs, with a gradual rollout planned over the next few weeks. News will also be available on Fire tablets, such as the updated Fire HD 10 the company announced at the start of the month. You won’t need to create a separate account to access all the content that’s available through News.
The service, which will simply be known as “News” on Amazon’s devices, will be coming to Fire TV streaming adapters and compatible TVs first. Rolling out in stages over the next several weeks, some Fire TV owners will be able to use the “News” app as early as this week.
For Amazon, News is another way for the company to increase its ad revenue. While its best known for services like Prime and AWS, Amazon also has a surprisingly big presence in the space. In 2018, the company became the third-largest digital advertiser in the US after Google and Facebook. It’s also a way for the company to compete with platforms like Apple News+ and Google News in a way that makes sense for Amazon given its platforms and investments in video.
