Amazon’s Big Change That Could Affect Montana

So, here we are in 2026 and life, at least here in Montana, ain't that bad. We're actually pretty spoiled with the technology we have available to us, but Montanans will soon have to make an adjustment with an Amazon product that makes life easier.

Amazon Announces The Shutdown Of A Popular Device

According to multiple sources including GBN, Amazon announced that their "Fire TV Blaster will stop working on January 31, 2026 as Amazon retires the Alexa-powered kit."

The Fire TV Blaster allowed users to seamlessly streamline your household Amazon products but, according to reports from sources like Unilad Tech, these types of devices have been exploited by users to illegally stream content.

According to a report from Unilad Tech that cites information from YouGov:

YouGov polling data shows roughly 1.5 million adults have watched illegal streams via jailbroken Amazon Fire TV Sticks within the last six months.

On the other hand, GBN is reporting that modern televisions come with "HDMI-CEC built in, which lets your devices talk to each other without needing a separate infrared gadget — eliminating the need for the Blaster."

How Will Amazon Discontinuing Fire TV Blaster Affect Montana Residents?

Your time is obviously limited if you're using the Fire TV Blaster; Amazon says it will discontinue on January 31st.

There are still plenty of options as far as fire sticks go but you'll need to find a replacement for your Fire TV Blaster by February.