If you own an Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick you might soon get an entire, new TV channel of content to view for free, provided by Amazon itself as it looks to take on the big broadcasters in the US and beyond.
Amazon has been linked with launching its own TV channel for a while, with previous reports hinting at either an ad-supported version of Prime Video or an expansion of its existing "Channels" area of the Fire TV platform. But the latest leak, published by The Information, claims that the company is working on its own, separate service tentatively called "Free Dive".
Free Dive will be an app or separate area on Fire TV that will carry back catalogue TV shows and films, much like the Roku Channel. All the content will be supported by advertising and free-to-view. It is likely that you will not need Amazon Prime membership, therefore, to watch shows on Free Dive.
It is said to be in development by the IMDB arm of Amazon and complies directly with the recent reports of the company hiring a "head of free-to-air TV and advertising".
Amazon is no stranger to placing advertising on its content. While Prime Video is ad-free, Twitch streams often come with adverts for non-subscribers, while its NFL American football coverage carries commercials. It is also thought the live Premier League football matches it will show in the UK from 2019 will also have ad breaks.