PBS is, by its nature, free to access, but the channel’s shows are now easier to stream than ever. PBS’s programming is now available to stream through Amazon Prime Video. The streamer has introduced new FAST channels, all available without ads, and contains 150 local PBS affiliate stations and the PBS KIDS Channel.
This content will be available you’re an Amazon subscriber or not, and can be found in the “Watch for Free” section. The partnership between Amazon and PBS was first announced in November. At the time, PBS’ chief digital marketing officer Ira Rubenstein explained that the deal was “part of the PBS commitment to make trusted content available to all households across as many platforms as possible.”
This comes as Amazon is re-inventing its approach to free content after getting rid of its Freevee offering, but is also one of many partnerships the company has developed with other streaming services so that you can just navigate to Amazon to watch whatever you want.
PBS has long offered a mix of documentary and fictional programming to its audience, including shows like Downton Abbey, which have gone on to become major franchises in and of themselves. PBS is not the kind of blockbuster acquisition that is likely to cause a shift in Amazon’s overall viewership numbers, but it’s another piece in a broader puzzle that speaks to the company’s overall approach to streaming. They want to make sure that they can be home to as much content as possible, including things that they had no hand in creating.
