East Lansing, MI; December 21, 2023 | WKAR Public Media at Michigan State University announced that its primary television channel is now live streaming on Local Now and Hulu + Live TV for subscribers. Local Now is Allen Media Group's leading free streaming service for local news and entertainment in America and Hulu + Live TV is one of the nation’s largest streaming services for live television with more than 4.5 million subscribers.
Participating PBS stations like WKAR are making Local Now available to audiences in more than 300 markets and cities across the country. Local Now’s audience will now have access to inspiring and educational content from WKAR’s locally produced shows, along with PBS favorites – including PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and Antiques Roadshow. Local Now is a free streaming service.
"This is an 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," said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group, parent company of Local Now. "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."
"This exciting partnership helps us continue to meet viewers everywhere they are with the quality content they expect from PBS," said PBS Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, Ira Rubenstein. "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."
Hulu + Live TV is a subscription service. The agreement with Hulu represents PBS’s continued commitment to make its quality and award-winning content accessible to all Americans on as many digital platforms as possible.
“As one of the largest live TV streaming services in the U.S., we are committed to providing a best-in-class user experience and a premium national and local channel line-up for our millions of subscribers” said Reagan Feeney, SVP, Live TV Content Programming and Partnerships for Hulu. “PBS and PBS KIDS are among the most frequently requested channels by our subscribers and we’re thrilled to add them to our core line-up that now includes more than 90 live channels.”
Look for the Local Now and Hulu + Live TV apps in Roku and other TV streaming devices.
PBS, PBS KIDS, and local station content is also available on PBS.org and pbskids.org, as well as the PBS Video App and PBS KIDS Video app available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and smart TVs from Samsung and Vizio. Local PBS station members like WKAR Public Media are also able to view an extended library of quality public television programming via Passport (contact WKAR for details).
About Local Now
The Allen Media Group digital platform Local Now is the leading free streaming service for local news and entertainment in America, delivering localized content to over 225 markets in the U.S. and boasting an endless supply of movies and TV shows from Hollywood's biggest studios. It offers hundreds of live channels that feature an extensive roster of superstar talent and marquee content partners. Local Now's state-of-the-art streaming platform also delivers original local news, weather, and information, customized by market, so viewers can easily stay connected to what matters to them most. Local Now is available on nearly all platforms across OTT on connected TV, Mobile and Web. For more information, please visit: localnow.com.
About Hulu
Hulu is the leading and most comprehensive all-in-one premium streaming service that offers an expansive slate of live and on-demand entertainment, both in and outside the home, through a wide array of subscription options that give consumers ultimate control over their viewing experience. As part of the Disney Entertainment segment, Hulu is the only on-demand offering that provides access to shows from every major U.S. broadcast network, libraries of hit TV series and films – including licensed content available exclusively on Hulu – and award-winning Hulu Originals, both with and without commercials. With Hulu + Live TV, subscribers receive a unique combination of access to 90+ live news, entertainment and sports TV channels from 20th Television, The Walt Disney Company, ABC, NBCUniversal, CBS Corporation, The CW, Turner Networks, A+E Networks and Discovery Networks, as well as access to Disney+ and ESPN+ included as part of the base plan. Visit hulu.com to subscribe or learn more about the service.