PBS Gives Online, Mobile Viewers First Dibs On New Shows
Americans watched more than 145 million videos across all of PBS’s Web and mobile platforms and, according to ComScore, PBS was the 15th most popular online property for video for the month of June.
One of the top series viewed online, PBS’ Nova, will premiere the first episode of “The Fabric of the Cosmos” on PBS’ mobile apps Oct. 26 – one week in advance of the show’s broadcast debut.
Airing Nov. 2, 9, 16 and 23 on PBS, “The Fabric of the Cosmos” is a four-hour series based on the book by physicist and author Brian Greene. Taking viewers to the frontiers of physics to see how scientists are piecing together the most complete picture yet of space, time and the universe, audiences will discover that just beneath the surface of everyday experience lies a world hardly recognizable – a startling world far stranger and more wondrous than expected. The first episode, “What is Space?,” will be available a week in advance of broadcast on PBS for iPad and the PBS apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. The entire series will be available for Web and mobile viewing each day following the PBS broadcast schedule.
“Consumption of PBS video on our Web and mobile platforms has gone stratospheric, rising from about two million views a month three years ago to 145 million videos viewed in June," says Jason Seiken, senior vice president/PBS Interactive and Product Development. “Videos on PBS.org have a young and engaged audience. Seventy-two percent of visitors watching videos are between the ages 18 to 49, and our viewers spend an average of 18 minutes per video, far above the industry average.”
PBS mobile devices – including PBS for iPad, PBS Kids Video for iPad and PBS Apps for iPhone and iPod touch – account for 31 percent of the videos watched in June. Exclusive premieres offered on PBS’ mobile devices have included “Circus,” Nova’s “Making Stuff: Stronger,” the rebroadcast of Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” and the upcoming “The Fabric of the Cosmos.” PBS says it will continue to enhance its mobile video experience by increasing the availability of local member station content.
