If you’ve cut the cord on cable to save money, but don’t want to miss out on All In With Chris Hayes, Morning Joe, and The Rachel Maddow Show and other MSNBC news shows, don’t worry. This guide will show you how to watch MSNBC live on your Amazon Fire TV, without a cable subscription. Let’s get started now.
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MSNBC and Internet TV Streaming Services
It used to be that the only way to watch cable news was with, well, a cable subscription. But this is no longer the case. As cable bills continue to climb, more people than ever are cutting the cord on cable television entirely.
This means that networks such as MSNBC must adjust in order to keep making money. This has led to a rise in “skinny bundle” internet TV streaming services.
“Skinny bundles” are a type of internet TV service which delivers a customized selection of cable and network channels directly over the internet, with no cable subscription. Examples include PlayStation Vue and the recently-launched YouTube TV platform.
Although the price of each service is different, most land in the $20-$50 range, though some options which offer more channels are closer to $80. Still, this is typically much less than cable.
Every major internet TV provider except for Philo has MSNBC. And, if you subscribe to one of these services, you can also use your internet TV credentials to log into the MSNBC website to watch live news coverage, just like you would log in with a cable subscription.
Here are your choices for watching MSNBC live on your Amazon Fire TV.
fuboTV
fuboTV began as a sports-centric streaming service, but they have expanded their selection to include quite a few non-sports focused cable channels.
Plans and channels
fuboTV includes two subscription tiers. fubo is the basic tier, and will cost you $45/month, while fubo Premier offers a few more channels, but comes in a a $50/month price tag. Spanish or Portuguese speakers may also be interested in fubo Latino or fubo Português, but these packages don’t include MSNBC.
You’ll get MSNBC included in the basic fubo subscription subscription, as well as Fox News, CNBC and CNBC World, and Fox Business.
Most of the other channels, such as beIN SPorts, The Olympic Channel, and Univision are dedicated to sports coverage, primarily of association football (soccer), rugby, and other internationally-popular sports.
Features
fuboTV does come with a free cloud-based DVR, which lets you record up to 30 hours of content, which is a bit low compared to other internet TV services. You can upgrade to 500 hours of storage space for a $10/month fee.
You also can only stream on 2 devices at once, tying fuboTV with DirecTV Now and Hulu With Live TV. However, fuboTV has recently added a “Family Share” add-on. For an extra $6/month, you can stream on an additional device, for a total of 3 simultaneous streams.
You can download fuboTV on the Amazon App Store to stream MSNBC on your Amazon Fire TV. You can also watch on your Android or iOS device, web browser, or a streaming platform like the Roku or Chromecast.
Check out the service now with a free trial. If you like it, you can get a $15 discount on your first month of fuboTV.
Sling TV
Though it has a confusing subscription plan, Sling TV is one of the oldest internet TV services, and a low-cost choice for streaming MSNBC without cable.
Plans and channels
Sling TV offers you two subscription packages: Sling Orange and Sling Blue.
| 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 |
Sling Orange gives you 30 channels for $20/month. Sling Blue costs $25/month, but gives you a total of 45 channels or more. You can combine both packages to get about 50 channels.
There’s a catch, though. You can get some news channels such as CNN and Bloomberg Television with Sling Orange and Blue, but neither package comes with an MSNBC subscription by default.
To get MSNBC, you have to buy the $5/month “News Extra” add-on, which also includes CNBC, HLN, and a few other news channels. You can add this to either your Sling Blue or Sling Orange subscription.
Features
Sling TV does offer a DVR, which gives you 50 hours of storage. However, it costs $5/month extra, so you will have to pay more to record your favorite MSNBC programs.
Sling Orange also only lets you stream on 1 device at a time, while Sling Blue lets you stream on 3 devices at once.
You can download Sling TV on the Amazon App Store, and watch it on your Amazon Fire TV, as well as iOS/Android, web browsers, and most other major streaming platforms like the Apple TV.
If you’re interested, head to the Sling TV website for a free 7-day trial.
DirecTV Now
Run by DirecTV and AT&T, DirecTV Now provides a great selection of cable channels, but is somewhat lacking when it comes to features, despite adding a cloud DVR for all customers in late 2018.
Plans and channels
You can choose from a selection of 4 different channel packages on DirecTV Now, as follows:
- Live A Little – 65+ channels, $40/month
- Just Right – 85+ channels, $55/month
- Go Big – 105+ channels, $65/month
- Gotta Have It – 125+ channels, $75/month
DirecTV Now has a great selection of channels for cable news lovers. A $40/month “Live A Little” package gets you MSNBC and CNBC, as well as HLN, CNN, Fox News, Fox Business, and more.
You can get even more news coverage if you purchase the $55/month “Just Right” package, which includes CNBC World and ESPNews.
Features
DirecTV Now currently lacks some features that most other internet streaming services have. For example, though it now includes a free cloud DVR, you only get 20 hours of storage, and will have to shell out an additional monthly fee for more storage.
You also can only stream on 2 devices at once with DirecTV Now. For more streams, you’ll have to purchase an add-on package from DirecTV Now.
You can watch download DirecTV Now on the Amazon App Store, and watch it on Amazon Fire TV devices of all types. You can also watch in your web browser, and on Android and iOS. Other supported streaming platforms include Roku, Apple TV, and Chromecast.
DirecTV Now offers a free 7-day trial on their website.
Hulu With Live TV
Hulu With Live TV is a newer entrant to the world of internet TV, but is quickly becoming a top choice for cord-cutters – despite the fact that it’s still technically in beta, even as of late 2018.
Plans and channels
Hulu With Live TV gives you only one subscription package, like fuboTV. It costs $40/month, and the subscription includes between 40-70 channels, based on your location.
It includes MSNBC, as well as HLN, Telemundo, CNN, Fox News, and CNBC, making it a good choice for cable news fans. You also get a solid lineup of sports coverage and cable entertainment channels, so you’ll have plenty of options.
One benefit of the Hulu With Live TV subscription is that it includes a Hulu membership ($8/month value) for no extra fee. You can watch all the content that Hulu hosts, on-demand and without any restrictions. However, you’ll have to pay an extra fee for commercial-free viewing of on-demand content. And, naturally, commercials are still included on all live TV programs.
Features
Hulu With Live TV includes a free 50-hour DVR with the price of your subscription. If that’s not enough, you can boost storage to 200 hours with the “Enhanced DVR” add-on, which costs $15/month.
Like DirecTV Now and fuboTV, you’re limited to only 2 simultaneous streams by default. Unlike these other services, however, you have the option to upgrade.
You can pay $15/month for the “Unlimited Screens” package. This will let you stream on as many devices as you want on your home network, and on up to 3 devices on an outside network. You can combine Enhanced DVR and Unlimited Screens for $20/month, if desired.
You can download Hulu With Live TV on the Amazon App Store, and watch in on your Fire TV. Other devices supported include iOS and Android devices, as well as popular streaming platforms like Apple TV and Chromecast.
Get started with a free 7-day trial now, and try the service out for yourself.
PlayStation Vue
You don’t need a PlayStation to watch PlayStation Vue, Sony’s awkwardly-named internet TV streaming service. In fact, this family-friendly streaming service has a lot to offer, even in today’s competitive streaming environment.
Plans and channels
PlayStation Vue’s channel packages are broken into four tiers, similar to DirecTV Now.
- Access – 45 channels, $45/month
- Core – 60 channels, $50/month
- Elite – 84 channels, $60/month
- Ultra – All Elite channels plus HBO/Showtime, $80/month
The least-expensive “Access” subscription gets you MSNBC and CNBC, as well as Fox News and Fox Business, HLN, and CNN, so it’s the best choice if you like cable news. Choosing an upgraded subscription such as the Core or Elite plan won’t really unlock any more other major news channels, though it’s a good choice if you like sports or entertainment TV.
Features
PlayStation Vue includes the best set of features for large households, or homes with many family members.
First, you get a 5-device simultaneous streaming policy. You and up to 4 other people can watch PlayStation Vue at the same time on a single subscription. This makes it better than any other pick on our list (with the exception of Hulu With Live TV + the Unlimited Screens package, which costs an additional $15/month).
PlayStation Vue also has an unlimited 28-day DVR. This lets you save as much content as you want, and store it for up to 28 days with no space restrictions or other limits.
PlayStation Vue is available on the Amazon App Store. You can also watch it on your PlayStation 3 or 4 console, as well as on iOS and Android, and Chromecast, Roku, and Apple TV.
You can try out PlayStation Vue yourself for 5 days by signing up via the PlayStation Vue website.
MSNBC Live and the MSNBC App
You can use your login credentials for any of the above internet TV services to log into the MSNBC Live website, or the MSNBC streaming app on Amazon Fire TV, the same way you’d log in with a traditional cable subscription.
The MSNBC app lets you watch MSNBC live on your browser or Amazon Fire TV, and even view archived content and past shows. The biggest benefit of the app is that it does not count against simultaneous stream limits.
For example, you could use your fuboTV login on the MSNBC app, and two of your other family members could still stream fuboTV content without interruption.
YouTube TV – Not Supported On Amazon Fire TV
YouTube TV didn’t make our list of the best ways to watch MSNBC on the Amazon Fire TV for one simple reason – it’s not supported by Amazon.
Over recent months, Amazon and Google have had some very public disagreements, resulting in Amazon pulling Google products from their store, and Google discontinuing support for the YouTube App on Amazon Fire TV.
Even in late 2018, this feud continues, and you still can’t watch YouTube TV on Amazon Fire TV, despite the fact that it’s available on almost every other major streaming platform.
Given the ongoing war between Google and Amazon, it’s unlikely that YouTube TV will be supported on Fire TV anytime soon. The war is bad for consumers, because YouTube TV is certainly one of the best ways to watch MSNBC without cable.
YouTube TV gives you a great package of channels including MSNBC and Fox News for $40/month. You’ll get a total of about 70 channels. You’ll also get 9 months of unlimited DVR storage space, and you can stream on up to 3 devices at once.
However, you can’t yet watch YouTube TV on the Amazon Fire TV. There is a workaround, though.
Our workaround for YouTube TV subscribers
If you would like to watch MSNBC on YouTube TV, and want to use your Amazon Fire TV, there is a workaround you can use. Simply download the MSNBC app and sign in with your YouTube TV credentials.
Google can’t block you from using your YouTube TV login on this app. For the time being, this is the best way to watch MSNBC on your Amazon Fire TV if you only have a YouTube TV subscription.
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.
I have roku and an Apple box and can’t figure out how to get MSNBC news live. Help