Cord-cutters everywhere will soon have a new way to access their local PBS stations for free. PBS has announced a new partnership with Allen Media Group, which owns the free streaming service Local Now. The deal will bring live streams of local PBS stations from more than 300 markets across the United States to Local Now over the next few months., with the full launch to be completed in 2023.
Local Now’s audience will have access to PBS’s award-winning content from locally-produced shows, high-quality educational series, and PBS favorites – including “PBS Newshour,” “Frontline,” and “Antiques Roadshow.”
“This exciting partnership helps us continue to meet viewers everywhere they are with the quality content they expect from PBS,” PBS Chief Digital and Marketing Officer Ira Rubenstein said. “By providing an accessible platform through Local Now, PBS stations will be empowered to expand their digital footprint and engage new audiences with locally-produced and distributed programming. It’s all part of supporting and boosting the presence of our PBS stations in the communities we serve.”
The announcement gives PBS viewers one of the first free ways to access live streams of their local stations. Customers of the live TV streaming services DIRECTV STREAM and YouTube TV already have access to PBS stations, but both services require a monthly subscription of $64.99 or more. PBS added the ability to watch streams of local stations on its website and via a mobile app in 2020, but those were the only ways to access PBS for free before its addition to Local Now.
“This is a historic agreement – we are thrilled that Local Now is the first non-PBS owned and operated streaming platform to offer PBS’s award-winning programming from stations serving more than 300 U.S. cities and markets,” Allen Media Group founder and CEO Byron Allen said. “The addition of local PBS stations is a major achievement for Local Now and cements our position as the leader of free-streaming local news and entertainment in America. Viewers of all ages know and love PBS and soon they will be able to stream this amazing content for free, anytime on our free-streaming service Local Now.”
Local Now provides localized news, weather, sports, traffic, and entertainment, produced by various leading news organizations in more than 225 markets across the U.S. It offers more than 450 free streaming channels, including a Local Now channel in every designated market. The free streamer also offers more than 18,000 movies, TV shows, and documentaries.
The Local Now app is available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xfinity, Vizio, Samsung, Android and IOS devices.
Local Now has been working hard to offer more localized news content over the past year. The service reached a deal with Hearst Television in September to bring Hearst’s Very Local digital news service — including its 27 free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels — to the Local Now platform.
Local Now
Local Now is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to movies and TV shows. The service also provides several virtual streaming channels, including newscasts from New York, Denver, Detroit, Cleveland, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego, and West Palm Beach. Over 220 cities in the United States have a localized feed. Local Now offers live severe weather coverage from The Weather Channel to people viewing in areas impacted by the severe weather event