STREAMING SATURDAY: Channels, Stations, and Stargate

This week in streaming is one of innovation.Here’s a look at the latest developments from some of the top streaming services.

Amazon, DIRECTV NOW, and Hulu have made improvements to their streaming services. MGM has thrown its hat in the ring by offering a streaming channel for serious sci-fi fans. These improvements to the various streaming services are impressive. What’s even more impressive is the fact that streaming as a whole continues to evolve and advance, almost on a weekly basis! This is just one of the reasons why streaming will continue to be an important entertainment medium, now and in the future.  Solid Signal is happy to report on the growing world of streaming.

Amazon Launches Kids Channel
On Thursday, Amazon launched its Kid Genius Cartoons Plus channel. The channel features titles that include Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaire’s ClubMartha & Friends with Martha Stewart, and Gisele Bundchen’s Gisele and the Green Team. It also will include Stan Lee’s Mighty 7Inspector Gadget, Baby Genius, and many other entertaining cartoons and children’s shows. This addition joins Amazon’s other kid-friendly shows that include PBS Kids, Up Faith & Family, and more.

Kid Genius Cartoons Plus costs $3.99 a month and Amazon currently is offering a free, seven-day trial. Amazon Channels is a subscription-based service that allows Prime members to stream various premium services. HBO, Showtime, and other premium channels are available to Prime members through this service. Viewers can expect Amazon to expand its Amazon Channels lineup with more cable networks and streaming services.

DIRECTV NOW Adds CBS, Fox, and NBC Affiliates
When DIRECTV NOW began adding CBS affiliates, some stations that was supposed to be added weren’t. The streaming service is making up for that by adding those CBS affiliates that didn’t make it on the first go-around. One of the first was KCAL 9 in Los Angeles. CBS 13 in Sacramento was another one. AT&T plans to add 50 more CBS and The CW affiliates across the country.

Apparently, the NBC stations owned by Nexstar Media are available for DIRECTV NOW’s live TV app. While a total number of stations in this grouping is unavailable, it’s been confirmed that Tampa-St. Petersburg is one of the newly-added markets. More Fox-owned stations also have been added. Keep checking your app to see if your local NBC and/or Fox affiliate was added. If it is, enjoy your local TV programming.

DIRECTV NOW currently offers local affiliates from 155 markets and that number continues to grow. This numbers includes stations from ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, MyTV, and The CW. It has been reported that Sinclair and AT&T have a deal to add Sinclair-owned CBS affiliates to DIRECTV NOW’s live TV app. No date has been given when these Sinclair-owned stations will be added.

Hulu Adds 18 CBS, Fox, & NBC Affiliates
Subscribers to Hulu’s live TV app can enjoy more local TV CBS, Fox, and NBC locals. The streaming service added 18 local affiliates, to be exact, which brings its live local count to 262. This should be good news to any Hulu streamers whose local TV affiliates are now available on the streaming system’s live TV app.

Here are the local TV stations added just this week:

KRTV Great Falls, MT (CBS)
KTVQ Billings, MT (CBS)
KXLF Butte-Bozeman (CBS)
KOAM Joplin-Pittsburg (CBS)
KFQX Grand Junction-Montrose (Fox)
KHMT Billings (Fox)
KPEJ Odessa-Midland (Fox)
KWKT Waco-Temple-Bryan (Fox)
WFXP Erie (Fox)
WGGB Springfield-Holyoke (Fox)
WJKT Jackson, TN (Fox)
WNTZ Alexandria, LA (Fox)
KPNX Phoenix-Prescott (NBC)
KUSA Denver (NBC)
WCNC Charlotte (NBC)
WBAL Baltimore (NBC)
WCSH Portland-Auburn (NBC)
WLBZ Bangor (NBC)

MGM’s Stargate Streaming Service
MGM recently introduced Stargate Command, a streaming service for hardcore Stargate fans. This service gives viewers access to the original Stargate movie (1994), the various Stargate TV series, and exclusive videos. It also delivers an early access to Stargate Origins, a new spinoff series, and more. While this is definitely a niche streaming service, it’s also an affordable one. Rumor has it that Stargate Command costs viewers a one-time fee of $20, which is rather affordable for serious fans of this franchise. Compare this to the monthly costs Star Trek fans must pay for CBS All Access.

What’s to Come in Streaming?
Well, this is what’s new in streaming this week. I can only imagine what might be available in the week’s to come. If I had to take a guess, I’d say more local TV affiliates will be added to various streaming services as well new features and perhaps even more original programming. One thing is for show, it’s always an exciting time in the world of streaming services.

About the Author

Jake Buckler
Jake Buckler is a cord-cutter, consumer electronics geek, and Celtic folk music fan. Those qualities, and his writing experience, helped him land a copywriting gig at Signal Group, LLC. He also contributes to The Solid Signal Blog.