Skip to main content

Amazon expands Fire TV Alexa voice commands to Hulu, CBS, NBC, Showtime

Alexa-fire-tv
Amazon’s Alex voice assistant is definitely having a moment. Yet, while ordering things online or checking the weather with your voice can be a fun and novel experience, one of Alexa’s finest qualities is saving you the irksome trouble of typing search terms into Amazon’s streaming video service on your Fire TV streaming device. The only problem with this useful feature to date has been a dearth of compatible apps outside Amazon’s own service — and this week, Alexa got a lot more versatile in that department. Expanding Alexa’s capabilities on Amazon’s streaming devices, Fire TV owners are now able to use voice commands to load content from a healthy selection of streaming apps, including heavy hitters like Hulu and Showtime.

With the new update, saying a phrase like “Alexa, play The Mindy Project,” will load Mindy Kaling’s show on Hulu. Outside of Hulu’s existing library of content, voice support is also included for Hulu’s Live TV subscription, specifically allowing users to switch to channels using voice commands. You can also use voice commands to bring up genres of shows or movies within an app. For example, you can ask Alexa to show you all dramas or comedies that are listed within the Showtime app.

Related Videos

Beyond Hulu and Showtime, voice control is now supported on apps for Bravo, CBS All Access, NBC, and Sony’s PlayStation Vue, though Netflix is still conspicuously absent.

While you are watching video, you also have a bevy of new voice control options. Users can utilize commands like “watch,” “play,” “pause,” “rewind,” “fast-forward five minutes,” “start over,” and “play from the beginning.” If you have an older Fire TV without Alexa support built into the remote control, you can pair a stand-alone Echo with your Fire TV in order to take advantage of the voice commands. You can also use the Fire TV remote app on your smartphone.

This expansion of voice support on Fire TV has arrived just days after Amazon sold millions of Alexa devices over Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Amazon stated that the best-selling item on Cyber Monday was the Echo Dot, and analysts have estimated Amazon has sold roughly 20 million Echo devices to date. Beyond stand-alone Echo devices, Amazon has been aggressively promoting Element HDTV models with Fire TV functionality built into the panel.

Editors' Recommendations

PC gamers are flocking to Windows 11, new Steam survey says
Shadow of the Tomb Raider on the Alienware 34 QD-OLED.

According to the latest Steam Hardware and Software Survey, more PC gamers are switching to using Windows 11. Although Windows 10 continues to top the charts, it's slowly losing users to Microsoft's newer operating system, as Windows 11 now compromises over a third of all operating systems in Steam's monthly survey.

It's happy news for Microsoft as Windows 11 continues to inch forward in the Steam Hardware Survey. While the survey doesn't include the software and hardware utilized by each and every gamer on the platform, it still shows us some significant averages. Microsoft has continued to push Windows 11 for new PCs, and the latest survey from Steam suggests that the effort is working.

Read more
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury live stream: How to watch for free?
watch jake paul vs tommy fury live stream online promotional poster

For the first time since taking up boxing in 2018, YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is facing down a bona fide professional boxer in the ring. Paul boasts an undefeated professional boxing record of six wins, but as he has yet to touch gloves another professional boxer (most of his opponents have been other celebrities or MMA fighters), many boxing fans and commentators don't consider him a legitimate boxer.

That may change today, as Paul is going up against undefeated professional boxer Tommy Fury -- younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury -- for the newly-created WBC Diriyah Belt. This is a pay-per-view event broadcasting exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S., making that the only way to watch Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury. So, no: There isn't a free Jake Paul vs Tommy fury live stream. Not a legal one, anyway.
Watch the Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury live stream on ESPN+

Read more
The Pala Casino 400 live stream: Watch Nascar racing for FREE
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

The Nascar Cup Series continues this Sunday with the 2023 Pala Casino 400 race happening at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Thanks to Fox Sports, the official broadcaster of Nascar events in the U.S., fans can now easily stream the race live online. If you're in that camp, then you definitely won't want to miss the excitement and thrills of the Pala Casino 400, but if you won't be making it to the track in person, you can still catch all the action from the comfort of your own home. All you'll have to do is sign up for one of the live TV streaming services that carries Fox Sports, and you've got quite a few options here. If you need some help deciding which one is right for you, read on. In this guide, we'll walk you through all of the options available to you for watching the Pala Casino 400 live stream and other Nascar races online.
Watch the Pala Casino 400 live stream on Sling TV

If you're looking for a budget-friendly live TV streaming bundle that will let you stream the Pala Casino 400 and other Nascar races online, Sling TV is an excellent option. Sling Blue, one of Sling TV's two subscription packages, includes Fox Sports, which means you'll be able to watch all of the action happening on the track live. Sling Blue costs just $40 per month and includes more than 40 live TV channels, so it's cheaper than your other options (although they include more channels). Plus, new subscribers can take advantage of a special offer right now and get 50% off their first month of Sling Blue, knocking it down to just $20. With Sling TV, you'll be able to stream Nascar races on your TV, computer, or mobile device, making it easy to watch every lap no matter where you are.

Read more