Amazon Fire TV delivers an impressive selection of apps, each packed with its own distinctive content that’s easy to access and explore. Alongside the big-name favorites like Hulu, Netflix, and similar heavy hitters, the platform is full of underrated hidden gems—quality channels that fly under the radar but truly deserve more attention. While it’s easy to stick with the familiar apps, those smaller, independent options often bring unique features and standout services that the major streaming giants don’t provide.
First, a few honorable mentions. In the past, we would have included services like Pluto TV, Tubi, and others on this list. Now, though, they are so well known that they no longer qualify for hidden gems.
Here are 10 Hidden Fire TV Gems for 2026: (With a few bonus apps included)
Free Movies, TV Shows, & More
- Watch full movies and TV shows for FREE
- All content on app is legal with HD quality print
- Recently played list to keep track of what you were watching. Resume quickly from where you left off
- Curated playlists by our editors. New lists & movies every week
- Movies and shows across genre – Thriller, Action, Horror, Drama, Comedy, etc
- Easy search feature to quickly find what you want to watch
- No Registration, No cable subscription, No credit cards, No passwords, No commitments, No contract. Ever
You can add FilmRise to your Fire TV HERE.
- Enjoy a constantly refreshed selection of entertainment
- Enjoy 100+ Live channels with a wide variety of content including news, sports, cooking, DIY, reality TV, pop culture, true crime and sci-fi
- Enjoy Spanish language content and our six live Spanish channels
- Create an account for your own personalized experience
- Browse new and featured titles, or search for your favorites, and stream right on your device
- The more you watch, the better The Roku Channel gets at recommending TV shows and movies you’ll love
- Access your favorite shows quickly from the Continue Watching row
- Enjoy a safe viewing experience just for kids with our manually curated, family-friendly entertainment
- Use parental controls to customize a viewing experience appropriate for your family
You can add The Roku Channel to your Fire TV HERE.
- Stay connected to what’s happening near you with Local Now, your one-stop-shop for free local news, weather and more.
- Choose from over 200 local streams to find the news and info that is most relevant to you–from current events to restaurant reviews and so much more, Local Now has you covered.
- Local Now also has thousands of free movies and live TV channels to choose from.
You can add Local Now to your Fire TV HERE.
Xumo Play is a free streaming service that unlocks endless entertainment including 350+ live channels with movies, TV shows, news and sports. With 15,000 titles available on demand, there’s always tons to choose from. The intuitive navigation integrates personalized recommendations for an experience built around your watch habits. The best part? No subscriptions or logins are needed to enjoy. Stream, free and easy — anytime, on any device — with Xumo Play.
From exclusive movies to complete TV series and 350+ free channels, Xumo Play has tons to explore. Enjoy free premium programming across 26 genres, including Local News, Weather, Action & Drama TV, Westerns & Country TV, Latino, Crime TV, Game Shows & Daytime TV, Horror & Sci-Fi and so much more.
New and exclusive movies available every month
Reconnect with favorite shows or try something new
Find something that’s on now or skip ahead
Stay up-to-date with breaking news from local and national channels, anytime
Download now to start streaming free.
You can download Xumo Play to your Fire TV HERE.
Stream Local News & Weather:
Did you know your local TV station likely has a channel on your Fire TV? With this channel in many markets, you can watch live news, local forecasts, and replays of local news coverage. Just search for your local TV station to see what is available in your area.
- Watch local and global news from 300+ channels.
- Haystack News is your go-to for hyper-relevant news, from local coverage to global current events. It’s the best way to watch a variety of coverage, all in one place, and absolutely free.
- Choose the categories, sources and topics that matter most to you to customize your newscast.
- Explore channels like Business and International News with stories from only the most trusted news channels, including ABC News, CBSN, Newsy, AP, CNET, Euronews, Cheddar, CBC, Bloomberg, and more local news coverage than any other streaming service.
- Take a deep dive into important topics and trends with dedicated channels that bring coverage from all over the world together in one convenient spot.
- Explore new topics with Haystack Spotlight, our channel dedicated to captivating long-form coverage and mini-documentaries.
You can add Haystack News to your Fire TV HERE.
- Watch live, local TV newscasts for free from nearly 200 trusted local news stations across the U.S. with the NewsON app. No cable subscription or login required. Enjoy local news with NewsON anytime, anywhere,
- Stream live local news, previous newscasts (up to 48 hours), and local news clips
- Watch breaking news coverage of local stories gaining national attention from where it’s happening.
- Always know which stations are broadcasting LIVE with our “Live Stations” feature.
- Easily access your favorite local stations no matter where you live.
- Browse their list of partner stations and explore local news across the U.S. with their “By Location” and Search features.
You can add NewsON to your Fire TV HERE.
- Free live local news
- On-demand news clips
- Live local events
- Original programming
You can add the Zeam app to your Fire TV HERE.
- Local weather forecasts tailored for you.
- Streams live weather newscasts from certified meteorologists, provides your local weather data, local weather alerts (U.S. only) from NWS (National Weather Service), weather maps and more.
- Make decisions about your day or next vacation. Get weather data anytime.
- Features include: Track current conditions, forecasts and NWS alerts (U.S. only) for your location or save your favorite places to easily access. Access weather maps (U.S. Only) with multiple layers like Radar, Visible Radar, Current Winds, Current Dew Points, and more.
You can add WeatherNation to your Fire TV HERE.
Free & Ad-Free! (From Your Public Library)
- hoopla is a groundbreaking digital media service offered by your local public library that allows you to stream movies and television episodes to your TV for free with no waiting.
- It has thousands of titles to choose from, with more being added daily.
- hoopla is like having your public library at your fingertips. Anytime. Anywhere.
You can add hoopla to your Fire TV HERE.
- Discover thought-provoking and enriching entertainment on one convenient streaming platform—brought to you for free by your library.
- Kanopy’s catalog of thousands of titles includes festival favorites and popular picks chosen for their insight into other cultures, perspectives, and beliefs.
- Kanopy also offers children’s programming with Kanopy Kids. Parents can browse educational and engaging videos for children of all ages that promote positive social and emotional development and inspire creativity in young minds.
You can add Kanopy to your Fire TV HERE.
Cheapest Way to Watch Local ABC, CBS, FOX, & NBC
To Cater to changing viewer habits, DIRECTV STREAM has launched a new MyNews package, streamlining premier news networks in one place. For only $39.99 per month, MyNews gives cord cutters the cheapest way to watch the news. The package includes unlimited DVR recording, access to on-demand and live programming in the DIRECTV Streaming app, over 90 MyFree DIRECTV channels, and more than 10 local and national news networks, including:
- ABC
- CNBC
- CNBC WORLD
- CNN
- CNN International
- FOX (Local)
- Fox Business Network
- Fox News Channel
- i24 News
- MSNBC
- NBC (Local)
- Newsmax
Local channels are based on affiliate availability and will vary depending on location. Other news networks, such as Cheddar News, The First, and Yahoo! Finance, are included as part of the MyFree DIRECTV channel lineup.
The MyNews launch is part of DIRECTV’s shift to more genre-focused plans that customers have been demanding for years. This move comes a month after DIRECTV STREAM launched MySports, its first sports-only package. Now, with MyNews, subscribers can finally legally stream many popular news networks on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and many other compatible devices at a low and affordable price.
Fire TV offers an extensive list of channels hidden away, waiting to be found, they just don’t have the much needed recognition they deserve. Every Fire TV owner should check out these lesser-known channels, their features might just rival those of larger, paid services.
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