Fire TV Stick owners receive annoying Amazon upgrade and yours could be next

A big change is coming to Fire TV devices with Amazon launching annoying full-screen adverts on its popular platform. Some users have already found their TVs are taken over by these giant commercials which automatically start playing the moment things are switched on.

The update, which was first spotted by CordCutterNews, appears to be rolling out slowly to users who own devices that were made after 2016. That includes products such as Fire TV Sticks, Cube and Amazon’s own brand Fire TVs.

Adverts can be stopped but only if the owner acts fast and hits the home button on their remote within a few seconds, if that action is missed then the advert – which is usually for a new TV show or film – will continue playing.

Confirming the update, Amazon told CordCuttersNews: “Our focus is on delivering an immersive experience so customers can enjoy their favorite TV shows and movies, as well as browse and discover more content they’ll want to watch. We’re always working to make the Fire TV experience better for customers and have updated one of the prominent placements in the UI to play a short content preview if no other action is taken by a customer upon turning on their Fire TV.”

It’s unclear when all Fire TV devices will see these changes but it’s thought the rollout will continue over the coming weeks and months.

This isn’t the first time that Amazon has confirmed the introduction of extra adverts. Back in November Fire TV advertising, monetisation and engagement, Charlotte Maines, said that adverts are here to stay and users could see more of them in the future.

In fact, there are three ways that Amazon plans to target users including context-sensitive advertising which will show sponsored messages that match certain searches.

So, if you ask Alexa to find episodes of Breaking Bad, you may see paid-for recommendations featuring actor Bob Odenkirk.

Much larger banner advertising also looks set to arrive in the coming months which will fill the top of your TV along with more context-tensive ads appearing as you scroll through your TV catalogue.