Milestone PBS-Amazon Deal Will Bring 150 Local Stations, Two New FAST Channels To Prime Video

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

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