US pay TV provider DISH customers with a Hopper or Wally and an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot or Amazon Tap can watch hands-free TV with Alexa. DISH is now also available on on Fire TV
DISH is the first TV provider to offer direct compatibility with Amazon Alexa.
“Hopper and Alexa introduce next-level convenience that redefines the way TV fits into our lives,” said Niraj Desai, DISH vice president of product management.
“Instantly, it’s easier to read player stats on your phone while flipping between basketball games; to chop ingredients in the kitchen while rewinding a TV scene you just missed; to snack on popcorn while searching for your favorite film – the list goes on.”
“Customers love the convenience of interacting with their smart homes via Alexa, and now that includes live TV on DISH,” said Rob Pulciani, Director Amazon Alexa.
“With DISH’s skill for Alexa, changing the channel, pausing, rewinding and searching for content will be as simple as asking Alexa via an Echo family device. We think this is a big step forward for the television experience, and that customers will love this new voice functionality on DISH.”
In a related development, DISH customers with a Hopper can now watch all of their live and recorded content, plus thousands of on-demand titles, from any TV connected to a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. While the DISH Anywhere app has been available on phones, tablets and computers for many years, Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick are the first media players to offer the app.
