Free App is Chromecast’s First Children’s Offering, Making it Easy for More Families to Stream Full Episodes and Clips of PBS KIDS’ Curriculum-Based Shows on Increasingly Varied Platforms
Arlington, VA, June 24, 2014 – PBS KIDS announced today that its popular video app is now available on Android and compatible with Chromecast; the app is the first children’s offering available on Chromecast. The PBS KIDS Video App gives families free, streaming access to thousands of videos, including clips and full episodes from their favorite PBS KIDS series. As children continue to stream videos on increasingly varied platforms, PBS KIDS’ offering on Android and Chromecast makes it easy for more families to access programming from the number-one kids’ educational media brand. With a cross-platform approach, PBS KIDS is increasingly serving children and families across America, wherever they live, learn and play, with content that is proven to help kids build key skills for success in school and in life.
“We are thrilled to be Chromecast’s first kids’ content provider, furthering PBS KIDS’ commitment to providing trusted, educational content to families wherever they are,” said Ira Rubenstein, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Digital, PBS. “Extending the PBS KIDS Video App to Android will also offer many more families the opportunity to stream the PBS KIDS series that they love, anytime and anywhere, building on the success of the app on other platforms to date. The PBS KIDS Video App launched on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch in 2011 and has been incredibly popular since. The app has averaged 245 million video streams per month in 2014, which is an increase of over 65 percent year-over-year, so we know that parents are eager to access this content.” *
Chromecast offers families a new, easy way to watch video from the PBS KIDS Video App on their home TV screens. To start streaming, users simply plug Chromecast into their TV, connect it to WiFi, then press the cast icon to cast videos and more from the PBS KIDS Video App to their TV.
PBS KIDS Video provides free access to videos from series such as PEG + CAT, SESAME STREET, THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!, DINOSAUR TRAIN, CURIOUS GEORGE, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and WILD KRATTS. Videos are updated weekly.
The PBS KIDS Video App features helpful tools for parents, such as:
- Additional information about TV series, including intended age and learning goals
- Marking series as “favorites”
- Easy access to download related educational apps and episodes
The PBS KIDS Video App is available for free in the Google Play store, Amazon App Store, and the App Store on iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. More information is available at: http://pbskids.org/apps/pbs-kids-video.html.
In addition to the PBS KIDS Video App and Chromecast, PBS KIDS offers free streaming access to its trusted educational content on Kidscreen- and Webby-award-winning pbskids.org, Apple TV and the PBS KIDS Roku channel.
Images and other press materials from PBS KIDS are available on PBS PressRoom.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including the PBS KIDS video player, now offering free streaming video accessible on computer- and mobile-device-based browsers. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.
Contacts
Jennifer Rankin Byrne, PBS, JRByrne@pbs.org, 703-739-5487
Maria Vera, PBS, mvera@pbs.org, 703-739-3225
*Source: Google Analytics, January - May 2014
