First Group of PBS Stations Launched on DirecTV Stream

By Jon Lafayette
( Broadcasting & Cable )
last updated

Markets include Washington, Miami, Denver, Cleveland

DirecTV Stream
(Image credit: DirecTV)

The first group of public broadcasting stations to appear on DirecTV Stream are being launched early this week by the virtual multichannel video programming distributor.

DirecTV Stream and PBS reached a deal to stream PBS member stations in October. 

The stations coming on line this week are WETA Washington, D.C.; KAWB and KWCM, Minneapolis; KSMN, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; WPBT Miami; WXEL West Palm Beach, Florida; KRMA Denver; KTSC0 Colorado Springs, Colorado; WVIZ Cleveland; and KVIE Sacramento, California.

Eventually, DirecTV Stream plans to carry hundreds of PBS stations. Because there are multiple PBS stations in many markets, making carrying and coordinating them complicated, DirecTV Stream is only the second vMVPD to carry the public TV stations. YouTube TV was the first.

With the addition of PBS and its affiliates, subscribers will be able to stream locally produced shows including Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline and PBS NewsHour.

DirecTV and DirecTV Stream also started carrying the PBS Kids 24/7 channel earlier this year.

PBS Kids programming includes Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Molly of Denali, Odd Squad, Pinkalicious & Peterrific and Wild Kratts.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.