Earlier this year, PBS and Local Now announced a deal to bring local PBS stations to the free streaming service Local Now. Now it seems this rollout of PBS stations has started as PBS is now live in several markets across the United States on the Local Now app.
PBS was one of the last major TV networks to join the cord cutting revolution and offer its content live and online. In the past, if you cut the cord, you could get a collection of on-demand content through the PBS app or watch PBS for free with an antenna, but if you wanted to stream the channel live, you were out of luck until a few years ago.
A few years ago DIRECTV STREAM and YouTube TV added live feeds of PBS, but you had to pay for these services. Now you don’t need to pay or use the PBS app as Local Now has reached a deal to stream PBS for free in 225 US markets.
Not all markets are live yet on the Local Now app, but PBS stations are starting to go live. If your market is not let yet by the end of 2023, you should find your local PBS on Local Now.
“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,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group, the parent company of Local Now told Deadline. “Viewers of all ages know and love PBS, and soon they will be able to stream this amazing content for free, anytime.”
PBS stations will start rolling out on Local Now over the next few months. It is hoped that Local Now will complete adding PBS stations in 2023.
With this move, PBS is becoming far more cord cutting friendly. Hopefully, soon PBS will be on even more streaming services.