Amazon launches free, ad-supported streaming channels exclusively for Fire TV

Amazon is doubling down on free, ad-supported content material with as we speak’s launch of Hearth TV Channels, the brand new free and ad-supported (FAST) video expertise coming to Hearth TV gadgets this week. Whereas Hearth TV has beforehand provided FAST content material, Hearth TV Channels will now be constantly up to date all through the day and built-in into varied areas of the Hearth TV interface, together with House Display rows, Hearth TV’s “Free” tab, and category-specific areas. pages dedicated to sure genres.

As well as, Hearth TV is gaining a brand new Journey class with a bunch of recent FAST channels from NHL, Xbox and TMZ, in addition to Tastemade Journey, “Rick Steves’ Europe”, “Journey Hacks” and shortly to be Condé. Nast Explorer. Later Hearth TV Channels can even embrace content material from the PGA.

The corporate defined that this Hearth TV replace is knowledgeable by buyer habits and the rising demand at no cost streaming content material.

“We provided a few of that [FAST] Content material for purchasers for some time — we helped them uncover content material all through your complete course of. [user interface] For instance, by having line-by-line content material on the ‘House’ or different pages,” explains Charlotte Maines, Director of Promoting, Monetization, Advertising and Engagement at Hearth TV. “We discovered they had been participating once we introduced the subject updated… And what we have seen in simply the final six months is that month-to-month streaming hours of this content material have elevated by 300%. That is why we all know it really works for our prospects,” he added.

The manager mentioned the expansion could possibly be attributed to a number of elements. First, prospects have reached a sort of saturation level with their video-on-demand choices and are not occupied with including extra subscriptions to their month-to-month payments and do not wish to attempt to sustain with extra companies. By comparability, FAST channels are simple to make use of as a result of customers don’t have to create an account, log in or undergo different hoops to start out watching.

With the replace, the Hearth TV interface will carry collectively all new and current FAST content material in an up to date expertise that gives entry to numerous classes comparable to information, sports activities, meals and cooking, music movies, trailers, gameplay movies, comedy. and extra, Maines notes.

The information class consists of entry to each nationwide information protection and greater than 330 native information channels as of this weekend, together with new FAST channels from NBC and Telemundo.

These class pages are accessible with only a click on from the Hearth TV’s “Free” tab, and Amazon says extra classes are coming “quickly.”

The replace was introduced as a part of the broader NewFronts rollout, which incorporates updates to Freevee, Amazon’s free streaming service that gives its personal FAST channels. However whereas Freevee is accessible throughout platforms together with cellular gadgets and different non-Amazon media gamers and TVs, Hearth TV Channels are unique to Hearth TV.

The pitch the corporate provides to advertisers is that they will now immediately goal their Hearth TV buyer base, which incorporates Prime subscribers and youthful households. Amazon’s DSP. This enables Amazon to leverage the corporate’s wider promoting crew and Hearth TV’s capabilities to promote FAST channel advert house.

Amazon states that it has bought greater than 200 million Hearth TV gadgets worldwide, and Amazon’s ad-supported streaming options now attain a mean of 155 million replay viewers monthly, or 6 out of 10 adults within the US.

The corporate additionally cited a buyer success story the place an automotive buyer ran native advertisements on Hearth TV and Hearth tablets, leading to an 11% enhance in model consciousness and a 14% enhance in buy intent. Plus, citing Nielsen knowledge, Amazon mentioned that 72% of streaming TV viewers do not watch linear TV.

Nonetheless, Amazon is not the one writer providing FAST channels as of late. Rival Roku has over 350 FAST channels on its platform as of March. Google TV simply introduced over 800 FAST channels and YouTube is experimenting with them too. Plex, Warner Bros., amongst others. Discovery, Tubi, and Sling TV additionally enter this market, which has traditionally been pushed by companies: Pluto TV.

Amazon mentioned the brand new Hearth TV expertise will probably be accessible to prospects this week. Clients will be capable of discover new content material tiles via the Hearth TV House Display, in addition to within the “Free” tab of Hearth TV. Later this summer time, Hearth TV will carry collectively all of the FAST classes with the launch of the always-on Hearth TV Channels vacation spot.