--- title: "What Is Fire TV? A Guide for Streaming Services | RentAnOTT" description: "Fire TV is Amazon's streaming platform for sticks, boxes and televisions. See how it relates to Android TV and what publishing an app on it involves." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/fire-tv" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/fire-tv.md" category: "Devices" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is Fire TV? Fire TV is Amazon's streaming platform. It runs on Fire TV Stick devices, set-top boxes and Fire TV televisions, and its apps are distributed through the Amazon Appstore. ## How Fire TV works Most Fire TV devices run Fire OS, Amazon's operating system derived from Android. The home screen, voice assistant, store and billing are Amazon's own, in place of Google's services. ## Fire TV and Android TV Because Fire OS shares its foundations with Android, an Android TV app can usually be adapted for Fire TV without being rewritten. The differences are in what surrounds the app: it is submitted to the Amazon Appstore instead of Google Play, in-app purchases use Amazon's billing, and services such as sign-in and notifications use Amazon's equivalents. ## What a Fire TV app needs - A remote-first interface that also responds to voice commands - Playback with DRM: Fire TV devices support Widevine and PlayReady - Testing across generations of stick, which differ in speed and memory - An Amazon Developer account and Appstore listing with TV artwork - Amazon in-app purchasing if you sell inside the app ## Why services publish on Fire TV Fire TV Sticks are inexpensive and widely owned, particularly in North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, India and Japan. For many services it is among the top television platforms by viewing time, and the shared codebase with Android TV keeps the extra cost low. ## Fire TV on RentAnOTT A RentAnOTT app for Android TV and Fire TV together is $149/month, with store submission included and a 6-month minimum commitment. [See app pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing). ## Related terms - [Android TV](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/android-tv) — Android TV is Google's version of Android for televisions, streaming sticks and set-top boxes. It runs on sets from many manufacturers and on operator boxes, and apps for it are distributed through Google Play. - [CTV](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/ctv) — CTV (connected TV) is a television that can stream video over the internet, either because it is a smart TV or because a streaming stick, set-top box or games console is attached to it. - [Smart TV app](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/smart-tv-app) — A smart TV app is an application built to run on a television's operating system or on a streaming device attached to it, and installed from that platform's app store. For a streaming service it is the way viewers watch on the big screen. - [Apple TV](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/apple-tv) — Apple TV is Apple's streaming set-top box, which runs the tvOS operating system. Streaming services reach it by publishing a tvOS app on the App Store. The name is also used for Apple's own TV app and subscription service, which are separate things. - [Widevine](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/widevine) — Widevine is Google's DRM system. It protects streamed video on Android phones and tablets, Android TV and Google TV, Chrome and other browsers, and most smart TVs and streaming devices outside Apple's ecosystem. - [PlayReady](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/playready) — PlayReady is Microsoft's DRM system. It protects streamed video on Windows and the Edge browser, Xbox consoles, and many smart TVs and set-top boxes. - [App store submission](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/app-store-submission) — App store submission is the process of preparing a streaming app, sending it to a store such as Apple's App Store, Google Play, the Amazon Appstore or a smart TV store for review, and publishing it once approved. - [In-app purchase](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/in-app-purchase) — An in-app purchase (IAP) is a payment made inside a mobile or TV app using the app store's own billing system, such as Apple's App Store or Google Play. The store collects the money, keeps a commission and pays the rest to the app's publisher. ## Further reading - [OTT app builder](https://www.rentanott.com/tools/ott-app-builder) - [IP boxes and IPTV explained](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/ip-box-iptv) - [How to start a streaming service](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/how-to-start-a-streaming-service) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Fire TV the same as Android TV? No. Fire OS is based on Android, but Fire TV has its own store, billing and services. An app is adapted and submitted separately for each. ### Where are Fire TV apps published? In the Amazon Appstore, through an Amazon Developer account. ### Can I use the same app on a Fire tablet? A tablet needs the touch version of the app, not the television one. Both are distributed through the Amazon Appstore. All 163 terms: [Streaming and OTT glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary). ## Book a demo Tell RentAnOTT what you are launching. The team walks through the platform and maps the path to go-live around your catalog, markets and revenue model. Book a demo: https://www.rentanott.com/contact ## More from RentAnOTT - [Home](https://www.rentanott.com/index.md) — What RentAnOTT is, what every plan includes, and how launch works - [Features](https://www.rentanott.com/features.md) — Every core feature and optional add-on - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing.md) — Platform tiers, apps, add-ons, usage rates and example bills in INR and USD - [Free tools](https://www.rentanott.com/tools.md) — OTT app builder and calculators for streaming revenue, bandwidth, bitrate and pricing - [Insights](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs.md) — All streaming business articles - [Glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary.md) — Definitions of streaming and OTT terms - [Book a demo](https://www.rentanott.com/contact.md) — Talk to RentAnOTT about your launch Full site in one file: https://www.rentanott.com/llms-full.txt