How To Watch Local Channels On Firestick? (Complete And Easy Guide)

The moment to cut your cable is now more than ever. There are many options available for cable TV subscribers who want to cancel their limiting and expensive cable subscriptions thanks to the abundance of streaming platforms and gadgets. 

However, how can you cut the cord without sacrificing local news networks and live TV? Well, it’s not a problem if you have an Amazon FireStick.

This article will demonstrate how to add local channels to your FireStick. Any Amazon Fire TV Stick device, including the FireStick 4K, FireStick Lite, and Fire TV Cube, can use the methods in this article.

How to Use an OTA Antenna and Fire TV Recast to Get Local Channels on a FireStick?

The most straightforward way to obtain local channels on your Amazon FireStick includes utilizing a digital antenna with a gadget like the Amazon Fire TV Recast. In addition, you can view and record OTA broadcast TV on your device with the Amazon Fire TV Recast box.

It is available in two sizes: a 500 GB model with two tuners and a 1 TB model with four tuners. So even while the Fire TV Recast is more expensive than the FireStick, it is still less expensive overall than a typical cable TV subscription.

Your TV can be remotely connected for the Fire TV Recast to work. Instead, it connects to your router and digital antenna via an internal input. Then, using the Amazon Fire TV app for your smartphone, you can control it via your FireStick.

Fire TV Recast uses a linked antenna to download live OTA TV channels. You may record hundreds of hours of content using it as a DVR, or it can give you access to these networks. 

You may view various local TV stations with Recast, including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, and others. In addition, you may watch regional sports, documentaries, local news, and more.

You can also save material to watch later if you’re busy. In addition, the Fire TV Recast allows users to simultaneously record two or four programs in the background, depending on the number of tuners available. 

Even two streams can be watched at once. The Fire TV Cube, FireStick Lite, FireStick Fire TV Edition, and other Fire TV products are all seamlessly integrated.

It’s interesting to note that the Fire TV Recast can be used with any Amazon Fire TV device. It can be configured with an antenna connected to and linked to the Amazon Fire TV app on an Android or iOS mobile device. However, the features and controls, such as scheduling recordings and curating channels, are constrained if you choose this course.

Tablo, slightly less expensive than Recast, is another OTA DVR solution that utilizes an antenna. But given that the Amazon Recast device integrates easily with your FireStick, you should purchase it instead.

Recommended Video: How To Watch Live TV And Local Channels On Firestick?

How to Use Skinny Bundles to Get Local Channels on a FireStick?

A streaming service known as a “thin bundle” provides a selection of live TV channels, much like a cable provider would. But, on the other hand, a tiny bundle often offers a condensed, more manageable selection of TV channels. 

Additionally, it will be a less expensive option than a cable network. At&T TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu Live TV are popular thin packages.

The Amazon App Store is home to official apps for the slim bundles listed below. Type the name of the related app into Find and then Search on your FireStick home screen to download it if you’re a subscriber to one of these services. After that, you can use the service by logging into the app.

1. AT&T TV

It’s hard to call AT&T TV, the company’s streaming service, a “thin bundle” with the variety of channels it offers. Numerous of its rivals offer cord-cutters a condensed selection of a few channels to stream for a lesser cost. But AT&T TV prefers to be cable-sized, with a broad selection of live TV channels for news, sports, entertainment, and education.

2. Sling TV

Sling TV allows users to stream live TV channels on FireStick and is credited as being one of the apps that started the first wave of cord-cutting. 

Compared to rivals like YouTube TV, it is more affordable while still providing various channels. Local, national, and international channels are available on Sling TV.

3. fuboTV

An unpopular service, fuboTV provides a wide selection of live TV channels. FuboTV would not have created this guide a while back. The streaming service used to have a limited number of local TV stations, even though it has always offered both on-demand material and live TV.

Users of FireStick can utilize the service’s integrated TV guide to browse the local channels that are offered by fuboTV. Users of the guide can browse, mark favorites, and set up channel recordings. It has capabilities similar to those found in cable guides.

4. Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV is another thin bundle option that enables customers to enjoy local channels on FireStick. One of the world’s most well-known live TV streaming services, this one currently boasts millions of active subscribers. And with good cause. It is recognized as one of the most incredible live TV offers available.

The combo plan, known as “Hulu + Live TV” provides exactly what its name suggests: a combination of live TV programming and on-demand content from Hulu. 

This implies that you may quickly move between the most recent films, television programs, documentaries, live news broadcasts, sporting events, and other forms of live entertainment.

5. YouTube TV

People can only assert that YouTube TV is an inexpensive live TV supplier. But one of the most widely used services is the one that Google owns. 

This is due to its broad selection of channels and attractive features, such as limitless DVR storage. In addition, through the YouTube app, YouTube TV is now accessible on FireStick and other Amazon Fire TV devices.

YouTube TV is among the top live TV apps for US consumers who want to stream local TV stations on their smartphones. 

Users may access a choice of channels in their area thanks to the more than 80 well-liked live TV channels. These channels cover several topics, including local news and sports. These networks consist of CBS, FOX, ABC, and NBC.

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How to Use Locast to Get Local Channels on a FireStick?

You can get free access to several local TV stations in your area if you can be in one of the 35 cities where Locast is offered. Launched in 2018, Locast is a non-profit live-streaming service. The business installed antennas in a few cities to gather live OTA signals and transmit them to its viewers over the internet.

Local channels that you might receive with an antenna are available on Locast. It offers various channels, including NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, and The CW.

As I previously mentioned, the issue is that Locast’s service area is limited. You can view some local stations in your area, though, if you reside in one of the service areas. 

Unfortunately, you will only be able to use the service if you live within the designated markets because Locast uses your current location to identify what’s available. You can always connect to a VPN server in one of the protected markets as a workaround.

How to Use Amazon’s News App to Get Local Channels on FireStick?

News is arguably the most watched live TV program. There aren’t many better apps than Amazon’s News app for your FireStick or other Fire TV device if you want comprehensive local news coverage. You can’t go wrong with this app if you have a FireStick and want to remain current on local news.

ABC News Live and CBS News are two local channels on the News app. In addition, numerous regional, national, and international channels are also accessible, such as Bloomberg, HuffPost, and Reuters.

Only 12 American cities—including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, and Los Angeles—previously offered local news. However, Amazon just added 88 local markets, expanding penetration significantly. These include significant metropolitan areas like Phoenix, New Orleans, and Detroit.

This latest deployment allows Amazon FireStick customers in many US cities to tune in and read their local news. When you initially use the app, it will identify the metro area nearest to you and show you local news from there and numerous national news stations.

How to Use NewsON to Install Local Channels on a FireStick?

This is a different news streaming app that emphasizes local news. One of the top US apps for local TV news is called NewsON. In addition, users have immediate access to on-demand video content, including archived newscasts and clips, with NewsON.

With 80% of US areas already covered, the NewsON app has a significant reach. It provides news on demand from more than 275 local TV stations in more than 165 markets, and those numbers are continuously increasing.

The local stations that are accessible vary by location as usual. However, most viewers can stream local news from major networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and PBS using NewsON.

Conclusion

That’s all there is to it, then. I described in this article how to add local channels to your FireStick. You can view news, sports, and other stuff using these techniques on your nearby live TV channels. 

The information I gave you made your decision simple. Please leave your comments in the space provided below.

Frequently Asked Questions