If you’ve got an Amazon Fire TV and you want to watch CNN live, you’re in the right place. Whether you still have cable or have chosen to cut the cord, this article will show you how to watch your favorite CNN shows on your TV. Let’s get started.
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CNN and the Rise of Internet TV
Even just a decade ago, there was no way to watch CNN without a paid subscription to satellite or cable TV companies. But this is no longer the case.
Today, more people than ever are cutting the cord on expensive cable companies. This has forced CNN and most other networks to adjust and make deals with “skinny bundle” internet TV services.
Skinny bundle services include Hulu With Live TV, AT&T TV Now, and Sling TV among others. You can pay a monthly fee with no contract to get a certain bundle of channels. Prices usually range from $25-$50 for a basic subscription, with no penalties for canceling service.
This makes skinny bundle internet TV services a great way to watch live TV without cable. Here are the five best skinny bundle services that have CNN live.
Sling TV
Sling TV is the oldest internet TV service, and still has the most subscribers despite a somewhat confusing subscription plan.
Plans and channels
Sling TV does things differently than other internet TV providers. You get the option of subscribing to one of two packages.
| Sling Orange Great Value $40.00/ month | 30+ channels ESPN New subscriber special 1 simultaneous stream | Try Sling |
| Sling Blue Great Value$40.00/ month | 40+ channels Fox, NBC, CNN, MSNBC New subscriber special 3 simultaneous streams | Try Sling |
| Sling Orange + Blue Best Value $55.00/ month | 45+ channels ESPN New subscriber special 4* simultaneous streams | Try Sling |
The Sling Orange package includes about 30 channels, and costs $25/month. You will get CNN in this package, as well as some other news networks like Cheddar Business, Newsy, Bloomberg Television and Local Now.
Sling Blue cost $25/month, and comes with about 45 channels. You get CNN with Sling Blue, and other networks such as Viceland and other channels that are not included in Sling Orange.
You can combine both Sling Blue and Sling Orange for $40 per month if you want a larger selection of channels. However, there is quite a bit of channel “overlap”. If you want more channels for a better price, DirecTV Now is a good alternative to Sling Blue + Orange.
If you need more news coverage, you can add the $5/mo “News Extra” package. This package comes with CNBC, BBC World, MSNBC, The Blaze, HLN, RT and a number of other channels.
Features
Let’s start with the DVR. Sling TV charges $5/month extra for DVR service. It’s not included in your base subscription. The DVR itself is reasonable, providing you with 50 hours of storage and no other recording restrictions. It doesn’t work on Disney-owned networks, though.
Simultaneous streaming is also somewhat limited. You can stream Sling Orange channels on only 1 device at a time. With Sling Blue, you can stream on 3 devices at once.
You can download Sling TV for your Amazon Fire TV here. It’s also supported by web browsers, iOS/Android and most other major streaming platforms.
Not sure if you’re interested in the service? You can get a free 7-day trial at their website now.
Hulu With Live TV
Hulu With Live TV is still technically in beta, but has become a top choice for internet TV. Here’s what you need to know about Hulu’s foray into live, streaming TV.
Plans and channels
Hulu With Live TV offers only one subscription plan, but it’s a pretty good one. You get a total of 40-70+ channels, depending on your location in the country. The package includes CNN. Other cable news channels provided include CNBC, MSNBC, HLN and Telemundo, and Fox News. Overall, it’s a great package of channels for cable news junkies.
One of the biggest benefits of Hulu With Live TV is that you get a free Hulu membership included with your $40/month subscription. You can watch the entire library of Hulu on-demand content, from past episodes of CNN shows to Hulu Originals like The Handmaids’ Tale.
Features
Hulu With Live TV includes a 50-hour DVR with your subscription for no extra cost. If that’s not enough, though, you can boost it to 200 hours with the $15/month “Enhanced DVR” add-on.
You are limited to only 2 simultaneous streams by default, which is not ideal for larger families. You can pay for the $15/month “Unlimited Screens” package to remove this limit. With Unlimited Screens, you can stream on as many devices as you want on your home network, and on up to 3 devices outside your home network.
If desired, you can combine both the Enhanced DVR and Unlimited Screens package. You’ll pay only $20/month for both, which is a pretty good discount.
You can watch Hulu With Live TV on Amazon Fire TV, with a download from the Amazon App Store. You can also stream in your web browser, on iOS and Android phones and on other platforms like Chromecast and Apple TV.
Hulu is currently offering a week-long trial, so you can get started at their website for free and see if Hulu With Live TV is right for you.
AT&T TV NOW
AT&T TV Now is the internet TV service launched by AT&T. As you might expect, it delivers the best package of channels because it’s run by a cable and satellite TV company that has good relationships with cable networks.
Plans and channels
You can choose between four different plans when you subscribe to DirecTV Now.
- Live A Little – 60+ channels, $35/month
- Just Right – 80+ channels, $50/month
- Go Big – 100+ channels, $60/month
- Gotta Have It – 120+ channels, $70/month
CNN is included in the lowest-cost subscription package, the $35/month “Live A Little” plan. Live a Little includes C-SPAN and C-SPAN 2, as well as MSNBC and CNBC, FOX News, Fox Business and HLN. For the price, this is the best package of cable news channels available.
If you choose the $50/month “Just Right” package, you’ll get some additional channels like Viceland and BBC America. To get BBC World, you’ll need to shell out for the $60/month “Go Big” package.
Features
AT&T TV Now may have great channels, but it is somewhat lacking when it comes to features.
Let’s start with the DVR – or rather, the lack of a DVR. Every other major internet TV service provides a DVR – even if it costs extra. AT&T TV Now does not. You can’t record any shows, though you can get some on-demand programming.
This is a big deal. AT&T TV Now has a DVR beta program ongoing, and says they will release a free DVR to subscribers soon, but they have been very cagey about when, exactly, this will happen.
You can also only stream on 2 devices at once, which is not ideal. Again, the company plans to allow users to stream on 3 devices simultaneously sometime in the late spring, but they have not yet announced a release date.
It’s not all bad, though. Your AT&T TV Now login will let you log into CNNgo. With the exception of PlayStation Vue, no other streaming service gives you access to the CNNgo website and mobile app.
AT&T TV Now is available on the Amazon Fire TV as well as all other major streaming platforms. You can give AT&T TV Now a shot with a free 7-day trial now, and see if the service is right for you.
CNNgo
You can use a cable login or a PlayStation Vue/DirecTV Now login to access the CNNgo website, and the CNNgo mobile app.
Sling and Hulu With Live TV are not yet supported as cable providers by CNNgo.
With the CNNgo app, you can watch past episodes of CNN shows, and view a CNN live stream on your Amazon Fire TV.
One nice thing about logging in to the CNNgo app with PlayStation Vue or DirecTV Now is that watching CNN on the app does not count towards your simultaneous streaming limit. In other words, you could watch CNN with your DirecTV Now login using the CNNgo app on your Amazon Fire TV, and your family could watch 2 other DirecTV Now streams simultaneously.
YouTube TV – Not Supported By Amazon Fire TV
Wondering why YouTube TV is not on our list? YouTube TV includes CNN, but currently has no Amazon Fire TV support. Google and Amazon have been having a number of corporate disputes recently, so this seems unlikely to change any time soon.
This is a real shame, because YouTube TV is a great internet TV package. You get CNN as well as networks like BBC World News, CNBC, Fox News and Newsy for $40/month. Not only that, you can stream on 3 different devices at once, and you get a free DVR which lets you save unlimited shows for up to 9 months. For the price, YouTube TV is a solid deal.
However, you simply can’t watch YouTube TV on an Amazon Fire TV. You’ll have to use your mobile device, a web browser, or a Chromecast. You can’t even log in to the CNNgo app with your YouTube TV login, so there is no real workaround for this.
If you don’t yet subscribe to an internet TV service, YouTube TV is probably not the best choice if you want to watch CNN live on your Amazon Fire TV. If you’re an existing YouTube TV subscriber, you’ll just have to wait and hope Google and Amazon work out their issues.
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
In order to be able to view CNN live for election night when away abroad, we have bought a new (2020 model) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Ultra HD with Alexa Voice Remote and then experimented at home. Sure, we can get CNNgo via YouTube but it only seems to offer earlier CNN broadcasts but we were able to get NBC which is absolutely live, and which we do not currently get via either of our satellite TV boxes. Wonderful.