Fubo Rolls Out New App Update with Vertical Video — But Fire TV Gets the Short End

Fubo dropped a pretty significant update on April 9, 2026 — and if you’ve been watching sports on your phone while pretending to pay attention elsewhere, this one’s for you. The streaming service rolled out AI-powered enhancements specifically designed for mobile sports streaming, including vertical video formatting that lets you watch games hands-free in portrait mode.

The catch? If you’re watching on a Firestick or Fire TV, you won’t find these features yet. The vertical video and AI bells and whistles are currently iOS and Android exclusives. I spent the morning digging through the details so you don’t have to — here’s the full picture.

What Fubo Announced on April 9, 2026

The headline feature is vertical video formatting for Team Channels. Fubo’s using AI models to intelligently crop and frame video content so that when you hold your phone in portrait mode, you’re actually watching the action — not black bars on the sides. It’s a smart move for the commute-and-watch crowd, and honestly, it’s the kind of thing that should’ve existed years ago.

Here’s what else made the cut:

• Live video carousels on the home screen — Instant access to whatever game is currently happening without digging through menus
• Expanded Team Channels with league-based filters — Follow specific leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.) within your favorite team’s channel
• AI-generated highlight playlists — The app pulls together key moments from full broadcasts automatically
• Enhanced baseball game alerts — Push notifications for major plays, steals, home runs, the works
• Breaking news alerts — Real-time updates on trades, injuries, and other developments

Fubo on Fire TV — What Actually Works

I fired up my Fire TV Stick 4K Max to check the current state of the Fubo app. The base experience is solid — you get the full channel lineup, DVR functionality, and the same interface you’ve been using on other platforms.

What you won’t get (yet) are those new AI features rolling out on mobile:

Feature	iOS/Android	Fire TV
Vertical video for Team Channels	✅ Yes	❌ No
AI highlight playlists	✅ Yes	❌ No
Live video carousels	✅ Yes	❌ No
Enhanced baseball alerts	✅ Yes	❌ No
350+ live channels	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
4K/HDR streaming	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Cloud DVR	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

The app installed without issues on my Fire TV Stick 4K Max running Fire OS 7.6. Navigation felt snappy, and I had no problems accessing my account or browsing the channel guide. If you’re coming from the mobile app, the Fire TV version feels slightly dated — but that’s likely because Amazon’s interface guidelines and Fubo’s mobile-first redesign are operating on different timelines.

What’s Actually Worth Watching on Fubo

Setting aside the new features for a moment — Fubo’s content library is legitimately impressive if you’re a sports fan. Here’s what’s on offer:

Sports (the whole reason you’re here):

• NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB games
• MLS and international soccer including the 2026 FIFA World Cup
• UEFA Champions League and other major European leagues
• NCAA college sports across multiple conferences
• Regional sports networks (RSNs) — this is where Fubo really shines versus competitors

Not sports:

• TV series from major networks
• Live news channels
• Movies and on-demand content

Fubo positions itself as the only way to get every Nielsen-rated sports channel without cable — and for the most part, that’s accurate. If you’re cutting the cord specifically to keep watching local and national sports, Fubo’s channel lineup is tough to beat.

How to Install Fubo on Your Firestick

The process takes about two minutes once you’re logged into your Amazon account.

That’s it — no sideloading required, no Developer Options to toggle. Fubo lives right there in the Amazon Appstore.

The Vertical Video Question — Will It Come to Fire TV?

Fubo hasn’t announced plans to bring the vertical video formatting to Fire TV, and honestly, it makes sense why they haven’t. Vertical video is a phone thing — it exists because people hold their phones vertically and don’t want to deal with black bars. Your TV is, has been, and will remain landscape-oriented.

The AI highlight generation is a different story. That feature could theoretically work on any platform, pulling together key plays into a digest for any game you might have missed. Whether Fubo decides to port it over likely depends on developer resources and whether they see Fire TV as a priority platform.

My guess? Don’t hold your breath for the vertical video on Fire TV — but the highlight playlists might show up in a future update if Fubo decides Fire TV users want them.

The Bottom Line

Fubo’s April 2026 update is genuinely impressive for mobile users — the vertical video formatting solves a real problem for phone-based viewing, and the AI highlight generation is the kind of feature that makes you wonder why it took this long.

If you’re watching on a Firestick, though, you’re getting the version without the new toys. That’s frustrating if you were hoping to try the vertical video feature on your TV (which, again, doesn’t really make sense anyway). But the core Fubo experience on Fire TV remains solid — 350+ channels, solid streaming performance, and the same sports lineup that makes Fubo worth considering in the first place.

If you’re on the fence about Fubo and want to see what all the sports streaming fuss is about, the Fire TV app gives you everything that matters.

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Looking for alternatives?

If Fubo’s pricing doesn’t work for you — or if you want more flexibility — there are other ways to watch live sports on Firestick. YouTube TV on Firestick offers a comparable channel lineup, while Hulu Live TV on Firestick bundles in on-demand content. For a full breakdown, see our guide to the best IPTV services for Firestick.

Explore IPTV Alternatives for Live Sports

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Last updated: July 2026