LOS ANGELES — The free streaming service with a focus on local content owned by Byron Allen‘s Allen Media Group has forged a partnership with PBS.
The agreement brings live streaming of member stations and the KIDS 24/7 digital multicast network to the Local Now offering.
Participating PBS stations will become available on Local Now over the next few months, AMG said on Tuesday (12/13), with the full launch completed in 2023. “This partnership represents PBS’s continued commitment to make its quality and award-winning content accessible to all Americans on as many digital platforms as possible,” PBS said.
Allen commented, “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. 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.”
PBS Chief Digital and Marketing Officer Ira Rubenstein commented, “This exciting partnership helps us continue to meet viewers everywhere they are with the quality content they expect from PBS. 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 new arrangement follows an earlier Allen Media Group partnership with PBS, which launched the new PBSDigital Studios FAST channel on Local Now. The FAST channel offers original series and short-form content.
