Prime Video to Add Free PBS Channels

Have Prime Video? Free PBS channels will soon be included with your subscription.

The Amazon streaming service and PBS said Thursday that more than 150 local PBS stations, and PBS Kids programming, are joining Prime Video’s FAST channel offerings, marking the first time the content will be available at no cost on a major streamer, according to a release. The channels will arrive in the coming months.

In addition, new FAST channel creations — PBS Drama and PBS Documentaries — will be available for a limited time starting Nov. 26. FAST stands for free, ad-supported television, but the channels won’t have commercials. 

Prime Video is a paid, subscription-based streaming service, but like its rivals Paramount Plus and Peacock, it offers a selection of live FAST channels. That lineup is available to any viewer for free, even people without a Prime subscription. Standalone Prime Video costs $9 per month, and the service comes included with a $15 per month Amazon Prime membership.

Another FAST channel in the mix will have a rotating selection of classic PBS shows, beginning with Reading Rainbow, per the release. You can also find PBS, PBS Kids and local content on the web and in the PBS apps, and paid members of their local PBS station can access an extended library of programming with PBS Passport.