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PBS coming to DirecTV Stream in 2021

The live TV service will be streaming PBS NewsHour and Sesame Street in the coming months.

Headshot of Ty Pendlebury
Headshot of Ty Pendlebury
Ty Pendlebury Editor
TV and home video editor Ty Pendlebury joined CNET Australia in 2006, and moved to New York City to be a part of CNET in 2011. He tests, reviews and writes about the latest TVs and audio equipment. When he's not playing Call of Duty he's eating whatever cuisine he can get his hands on. He has a cat named after one of the best TVs ever made.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Ty Pendlebury
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Sesame Street began 50 years ago on PBS and now shares its time between HBO Max and PBS.

HBO Max

DirecTV Stream revealed Tuesday that it will begin broadcasting local PBS stations later this year, joining competitor YouTube TV. 

The two companies said that participating PBS member stations will become available over the next few months, and the full launch will be completed in 2022. The livestreams will be accompanied by a PBS video-on-demand library.

DirecTV Stream, which changed its name from AT&T TV last month, is now the second live TV streaming service to add PBS to its local broadcast list after YouTube TV. DirecTV has also added PBS Kids to its lineup.

PBS has more than 330 member stations, though it's unclear how many will participate in the new partnership. PBS didn't immediately respond to a request for further comment.

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