You just hooked up your Amazon Fire TV Stick, expecting a world of free content, but then it hits you. Where is the local news? How do you watch the Sunday night football game or the morning weather report? Honestly, it’s the biggest frustration for cord-cutters. You’ve got Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu, but you’re missing that local connection to your own city.
Getting local channels on Firestick isn't actually that hard, but people make it way more complicated than it needs to be. You don't need a degree in IT. You basically just need to know which apps are legit and which ones are just going to give you a headache.
📖 Related: Dorian Stewart Author at WaveTechGlobal: Why Technical Writing Still Matters
The NewsBench and Local App Secret
If you just want the news, you’re in luck. Amazon has actually made this pretty easy lately. There is a built-in "News" app on the Firestick home screen. It’s usually a red icon. If you open that up, it’ll ask for your location. Once you give it permission, it aggregates local news clips and sometimes live broadcasts from stations like ABC, CBS, and FOX in your specific area.
But maybe you want the full experience. You want the commercials, the local talk shows, and the live broadcasts.
Most people overlook the individual station apps. If you live in a big city like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, your local NBC or ABC affiliate likely has its own app in the Amazon Appstore. Search for "WSB-TV" or "WABC" and you might be surprised to find a dedicated live stream. It’s free. It’s legal. It’s right there.
Why the Amazon News App is Kinda Great
It’s not perfect, though. It’s mostly focused on news cycles. If you’re trying to watch Jeopardy! or a primetime sitcom, the News app isn't going to help you. It’s a specialized tool. Think of it as a way to stay informed about your commute or the local politics without having to hunt for a stream.
Using a Digital Antenna with Firestick (The Pro Move)
This is the part where most people get confused. You can't just plug a coax cable into a Firestick. It’s a HDMI device. It doesn't have a tuner.
To bridge this gap, you need a network tuner. Devices like the HDHomeRun or the Tablo are the gold standard here. You plug your HD antenna into the Tablo, and then the Tablo connects to your Wi-Fi.
Now, here is the magic: you download the Tablo app on your Firestick.
Suddenly, your local channels—NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, and The CW—show up in a beautiful grid guide right on your TV. No switching inputs. No faffing about with the "Input" button on your remote. It’s seamless. It feels like cable, but you’re paying $0 a month for the actual service. You just had to buy the hardware once.
The picture quality is often better than cable too. Cable companies compress their signals. Over-the-air (OTA) signals are uncompressed 1080i or 720p. It’s crisp.
📖 Related: Finding an macOS High Sierra Download That Actually Works in 2026
Live TV Streaming Services: The Easy (But Expensive) Way
If you have the budget and just want things to "just work," you’re looking at vMVPDs. That’s a fancy industry term for "Cable TV over the Internet."
- YouTube TV: Probably the best overall experience. It has almost every local affiliate in every market.
- Hulu + Live TV: Great if you already pay for the Hulu library.
- Fubo: If you are a sports nut, this is the one. They specialize in local sports networks (RSNs) that others might miss.
- Sling TV: This one is tricky. They only offer FOX and NBC in very specific markets. You have to check your zip code on their site before signing up, or you’ll be disappointed.
These services range from $40 to $80 a month. It’s a lot. But it’s the most reliable way to ensure you never miss a local broadcast.
The Paramount+ and Peacock Hack
Did you know you might already be paying for local channels?
If you subscribe to the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME tier (the pricey one), you get a live stream of your local CBS station. It’s baked right into the app. Open Paramount+, go to the "Live TV" tab, and there’s your local affiliate.
Peacock does something similar for NBC, but you generally need the "Premium Plus" plan.
It’s a sneaky way to get local channels on Firestick if you’re already using these apps for shows like Yellowstone or The Office. You’re basically killing two birds with one stone.
Don't Forget About PBS
PBS is a national treasure and they are surprisingly tech-forward. The PBS app on Firestick is fantastic. You just enter your zip code, and it identifies your local station. Most of the time, you can watch the live broadcast for free.
They do ask for a "Passport" donation (usually around $5 a month) to unlock their full archive of Frontline or Masterpiece, but the basic local stream is usually accessible.
What About Free Ad-Supported Apps?
You’ve probably seen apps like Pluto TV, Tubi, or Haystack News.
These are awesome, but they aren't "true" local channels. They are "curated" local channels. Haystack News, for example, will let you pick your city and then show you a rolling feed of news stories from your local stations. It’s not a live 24/7 broadcast of the channel itself, but for many people, it’s enough.
Pluto TV has a "Local News" section that features live feeds from major cities. If you live in a mid-sized town, you might not find your exact station, but you can usually find a nearby "regional" feed.
The "Gray Area" Apps (A Warning)
You’ll see a lot of YouTube videos or shady forums talking about "Jailbreaking" your Firestick.
First off, "jailbreaking" a Firestick is just a dramatic way of saying you’re turning on a setting to allow apps from unknown sources. It’s not illegal.
However, the apps people often suggest—like those providing "IPTV" for $10 a month with 5,000 channels—are usually pirated. They are unreliable. They steal your data. They buffer right when the winning touchdown is about to happen.
Stick to the official apps. The headache of a "free" pirated stream is never worth it when there are so many legal ways to get the job done.
Putting It All Together
How you get local channels on Firestick really depends on your patience and your wallet.
✨ Don't miss: Searching for show me a picture of a girl: What You're Actually Looking For
If you want it for free and don't mind a little setup, go the Antenna + Network Tuner route. It’s a one-time cost and pays for itself in two months.
If you want the most "cable-like" experience and don't mind the bill, YouTube TV is the king.
If you just need the news and weather, just use the Amazon News app or Haystack.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your zip code: Go to AntennaWeb.org to see which channels you can actually get with an antenna at your house. If you’re in a valley or 50 miles from the city, an antenna might not work well.
- Search the Appstore: Type the call letters of your favorite local station (like KABC or WGN) directly into the Firestick search bar. You might find a free app right now.
- Audit your subs: Check if you already pay for Paramount+ or Peacock. If you do, check the "Live" section. You might already have CBS or NBC without realizing it.
- Try the News App: Press the home button, scroll down to the "News" row, and set up your local city. It takes 30 seconds.
Local TV is still the best way to stay connected to your community. Whether it's a storm warning or a high school football highlight, you don't have to give that up just because you ditched the cable box.