Cox Media Group and VUit have inked a deal, giving the national streaming service access to even more local content. With the new agreement in place, VUit offers local coverage in 150 of the nation’s 210 markets, including Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Orlando, and Charlotte.
VUit will stream CMG’s current linear local news and culture programming. In the future, they aim to create original content that appeals to wider audiences.
CMG has been exploring its digital options. Because streaming has taken off, stations are searching for opportunities to reach both local and national audiences. Individual stations are streaming to local audiences, which account for 10% of their viewers.
“We continue to see enormous opportunity for local news on digital platforms to not only drive revenue but to extend the quality of our reporting reach of hyperlocal news across the country,” said Marian Pittman, executive VP of content, product & innovation for CMG. “We’re thrilled to partner with VUit to make this happen.”
“Hyperlocal news is no longer just for those living in the community. There’s an appetite for these stories well beyond the local broadcasters’ markets. Cox is the perfect partner to amplify VUit’s content offerings, and we’re excited to be able to bring the high-quality content of their local stations to viewers nationwide,” said Jack Perry, CEO of Syncbak, VUit’s parent company.
The new agreement between CMG and VUit gives former Locast users another way to access broadcasts across the country. The Streamable also compiled a list of alternate options for accessing local news without Locast.
On Thursday, Locast, a donation-based streaming service, pulled the plug amid a copyright infringement lawsuit by the “Big Four” broadcasters. The shutdown came less than 24 hours after the company halted donations to access the stream. Locast, CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox will go to trial in 2022.
VUit
VUit is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to content produced by 260+ local TV news stations around the United States. Its partners include Lilly Broadcasting, Heritage Broadcasting, and Gray Television. The service covers 78% of the nation’s DMAs.