PBS knows there’s a strong market for nostalgia, especially when it comes to its programming. Now the network is cashing in on that.
The home of many children’s classic TV shows has launched PBS Retro, a free ad-supported channel that’s available via the Roku channel on Smart TVs, Roku devices, and web browsers. The channel will air 24/7.
The channel is loaded with classics you may remember from either your own childhood or your children’s, including Thomas & Friends, Zoboomafoo, Reading Rainbow, and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. It offers parents additional options for their children—and makes for a great, calming background noise for adults.
The retro channel is the latest FAST (free, ad-supported streaming television) offering for PBS. The broadcaster also offers PBS Food, PBS Antiques Roadshow, Julia Child, Antiques Road Trip, and PBS Nature.
FAST channels continue to gain ground as consumers look for ways to save money. Data from Nielsen’s The Gauge, the ratings service’s monthly snapshot of broadcast, cable, and streaming consumption, found FAST services showing “exceptional strength” in February of 2024, with PlutoTV up 10%, Tubi up 8.3%, and the Roku Channel up 8.1%.
The ads that run on the PBS Retro channel, for now, are largely for other FAST options, but there is a certain irony that “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” is so prominent in the offerings. Rogers was not a fan of commercials on television during his lifetime, though he did create a program in the 1960s sponsored by Horne’s Department Store. His iconic children’s show first aired in 1967, ending its run in 2001.
“We are still in the early days of experimentation, with the goal of understanding the potential FAST Channels have for increased revenue and awareness,” PBS Distribution president Andrea Downing told TheWrap. “As viewers watch more content on digital platforms, PBS content must be available in new places to meet our mission: offering access to PBS content to as many Americans as possible.”