PBS Distribution will release its new prime video channel, “PBS Documentaries” as an additional form of access for its viewers. The channel will launch on 4th August 2020. “We had long hoped to be able to have all of our films available in one place so the public would have access to the body of work,” Producer and Director, Ken Burns said. “We’re thrilled that this is now possible thanks to the efforts of PBS Distribution and Amazon to launch the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel and also through PBS’s Passport initiative that allows viewers to support their public television stations. Both will also contribute to the larger mission of PBS.”
The subscription for the “PBS Documentaries” channel is priced at USD 3.99 per month for customers who have Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription via Prime Video Channels. The channel will launch with 1,000 hours of programming. The content is only available in the US at the moment. “This channel will not only help bring engaging stories about life in all corners of our country to a new audience, but it will also provide needed revenues to sustain public broadcasting’s public-private partnership model for the benefit of all stations and the communities they serve,” Andrea Downing, Co-President of PBS Distribution, said.
The channel's programming features "The Civil War," "Country Music," Filmmaker Stanley Nelson’s "The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution," “For Sama” and "American Experience" “Last Days in Vietnam.” “I’m thrilled to see that my work will find a new home on this channel,” Nelson said. “PBS has become a premier destination for documentary programming in the U.S. and has been hugely invested in giving films by diverse storytellers and emerging filmmakers much-needed national exposure. I’m so glad that my film on the Black Panther Party, which can inform communities in our current historical moment, will be able to reach different audiences on this new service."
PBS Passport will also be accessible within the PBS Video App, a member benefit available within the PBS Video App that gives viewers extended access to high-quality content. The Passport library is also full of public television’s acclaimed drama, arts, science, history, and lifestyle programs.