A new day is dawning for public television in the streaming era, with PBS and Amazon reaching a deal to bring 150 local stations, PBS Kids and two new FAST channels to Prime Video . As in the longstanding linear broadcast model, station programming will only be available to viewers located in a given market. The new national offerings, PBS Drama and PBS Documentaries, as well as PBS Kids will be available everywhere.
The pact marks the first time PBS programming will be available for free on a major streaming service. PBS Drama and PBS Documentaries will be available exclusively for a limited time on Prime Video starting November 26. PBS Distribution will also offer a “pop-up” FAST channel featuring a rotating selection of classic PBS shows, starting with Reading Rainbow .
In order to preserve the primacy of stations in the public broadcasting ecosystem, programming on the FAST channels will be at least five years removed from its original broadcast window. The multifaceted agreement is designed to take advantage of the surging FAST business, as research shows that two in three U.S.
viewers access the channels. FAST Channels on Amazon can be found through Prime Video and Fire TV, with non-Prime members able to also get them via the “Watch for Free” section in Prime Video. PBS local and national programming will also continue to be available via the subscription service PBS Passport, which requires a minimum donation to a subscriber’s local station of $5.
Ira Rubenst.
