By Daniel Furn

Published: Tuesday, 12 July 2022 at 12:00 am


Amazon’s popular streaming device has been going for a while now, bringing us the latest internet shows long before smart TVs became mainstream.

But a lot has changed in digital entertainment and there are now an awful lot of streaming services – so what exactly can the little dongle access?

The answer is, thankfully, quite a lot – see below for a full breakdown of just how much you can binge with Amazon’s nifty little gadget.

If you’re still not quite clear what a Fire Stick is or how it can get channels, see our little guides to what a Fire Stick is and how it works and Fire TV Stick costs. You can also see our independent Amazon Echo Dot review, Fire TV Cube review and Echo Show 8 review, too.

Considering upgrading your TV setup? Make sure to take a look at our best smart TV guide.

If you need help choosing a subscription service in 2022, don’t miss our breakdown of the best streaming service UK, comparing the pricing and features of each major platform, including Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, BritBox and Apple TV+.

Amazon Prime Day 2022 has arrived

Prime Day is an exclusive sales event for Prime members. 

We are seeing discounts across Amazon devices like the Echo Dot and up to 50% off movies and TV shows on Prime Video

Along with access to Amazon Prime Day, a Prime membership also gets you free premium delivery and a subscription to Prime Video and Amazon Music.

Sign up for a 30-day free Amazon Prime trial

What channels do you get with a Fire Stick?

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Being an Amazon device, the Fire Stick fittingly comes with access to Prime Video, but also lets you buy and rent films and TV from Amazon whether you are a Prime member or not.

Along with Prime, the other major streaming services available on the stick are Netflix, Disney+ (including Star on Disney Plus) Apple TV, Britbox, and Hayu. In terms of catch-up services, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My 5, and UKTV Play are all supported by the device, as well as internet giant YouTube.

Music lovers can also stream songs through Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify, watch music videos on Vevo and listen to radio from all over the world with TuneIn Radio.

There are also plenty more obscure video channels – TV Player lets you watch Freeview, whereas Pluto TV streams 40 ‘live’ channels for those who miss channel-hopping in the Netflix age. Twitch lets you watch gaming live streams, Plex lets you watch your own video files and Vimeo is YouTube’s video-sharing competitor. You can get inspired by a talk from TED TV, or get more physical with the boxing channel BoxNation.

There’s also plenty of apps and utilities, from Facebook to Audible to Just Eat to Silk Web Browser.

If you’re specifically after sport, read our explainer on how to watch live football on the Amazon Fire TV Stick too. And of course, the streaming stick is fitted with Alexa so that you can navigate the device hands-free.

Which channels are free on the Fire Stick?

Here’s the catch – while it is free to download most of the apps, some of them will still require a subscription to use. Have no fear – you’ll still be able to access all the catch-up services for free or watch live telly on TV Player without charge. It’s mainly the streaming services that require a paid subscription to use – see a list of the main ones below.

Popular channels that require a subscription:

You’ll also need to pay for the music streaming services – namely Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify.

How much is an Amazon Fire TV stick?

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Amazon

The price of the Fire Stick varies depending on whether you’d like a 4K model or not. The regular HD Fire Stick usually goes for £39.99.

For the higher-spec 4K Fire Stick, the standard price on Amazon is £49.99.

However, the popular device is often on offer and we’ve found the best Amazon Fire Stick deals available right now. To see how it compares to other streaming sticks, read our Chromecast vs Fire TV Stick guide.

Thinking of buying a new TV? Take a look at our comprehensive which TV to buy guide.