The Weather Channel's Free Streaming Service 'Local Now' Launches New Vizio Smart TV App

Local Now Continues to Expand Audience Reach through New Distribution with Leading TV Platform VIZIO SmartCast®

Local News, Weather, Sports, Traffic and Lifestyle Content Now Available for Free on VIZIO SmartCast® Televisions

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Jul 22, 2020, 13:52 ET

ATLANTA, July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Weather Channel has officially launched its free streaming service, Local Now, on VIZIO SmartCast®, the award-winning Smart TV platform. The new Local Now smart TV app is now available for around-the-clock viewing to SmartCast® users on their VIZIO televisions.

Local Now continues to expand its audience and distribution with the country's top video providers. Local Now is now available on VIZIO SmartCast®, and with a simple scroll through the app bar, users can seamlessly stream hyper-local content that Local Now offers for free, directly from their VIZIO TV.

Powered by The Weather Channel and content partners, Local Now delivers real-time, localized information about current events, weather, lifestyle, sports, business and traffic.

"With increasing consumption on smart TVs, we are excited about expanding Local Now's presence, bringing real-time hyper-local content to VIZIO users across the country," said Byron Allen, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Local Now parent company Allen Media Group. "The Local Now team is working diligently with best-in-class technology brands to meet the consumers where they are, and to make the Local Now free streaming app available on all devices."

"VIZIO is dedicated to delivering endless entertainment options to users and is continually adding free and premium content to VIZIO SmartCast®," said Katherine Pond, Vice President of Business Development for VIZIO. "With the Local Now app, users can easily enjoy real-time, local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle content with no subscription or additional fees."

Local Now is available across a portfolio of over-the-top (OTT), mobile, and TV platforms, including YouTube TV, Apple TV, Sling TV, Xumo, MobiTV, fuboTV, Plex, iOS, Android, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

For more information and to watch Local Now visit: www.localnow.com.

About Entertainment Studios / Allen Media Group
Chairman and CEO Byron Allen founded Entertainment Studios in 1993. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it has offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Raleigh. Entertainment Studios owns 15 U.S. Big-Four network affiliate broadcast television stations and nine 24-hour HD television networks serving nearly 160 million subscribers: THE WEATHER CHANNEL, PETS.TV, COMEDY.TV, RECIPE.TV, CARS.TV, ES.TV, MYDESTINATION.TV, and JUSTICE CENTRAL.TV. Entertainment Studios will add its tenth network, THE WEATHER CHANNEL EN ESPANOL in 2020. Entertainment Studios also owns the LOCAL NOW AVOD streaming service, powered by THE WEATHER CHANNEL and content partners, which delivers real-time, hyper-local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle information. Entertainment Studios also produces, distributes, and sells advertising for 64 television programs, making it one of the largest independent producers/distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations. With a library of over 5,000 hours of owned content across multiple genres, Entertainment Studios provides video content to broadcast television stations, cable television networks, mobile devices, multimedia platforms, and the World Wide Web. Our mission is to provide excellent programming to our viewers, online users, and Fortune 500 advertising partners. For more information, visit: www.entertainmentstudios.com

About Local Now
Local Now is a streaming service that is changing the way Americans get news about their communities. Powered by The Weather Channel and content partners, Local Now delivers real-time, local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle information through unique technology that transmits localized information to more than 230 markets across the United States. Local Now delivers the same information seen in a 30 to 60-minute local news broadcast segment, on-demand and in a fraction of the time. Local Now is available across a portfolio of OTT, mobile, and TV platforms, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Frndly TV, Xumo, MobiTV, fuboTV, Plex, DISH, Altice, iOS, and Android. For more information, visit: www.localnow.com

About VIZIO
VIZIO, the #1 American-based TV brand¹ and America's #1 Sound Bar Company², delivers innovative entertainment solutions and value for millions of connected consumers. Formed in 2002 and quickly established as a daring leader, VIZIO has built a portfolio of industry-leading products that provide brilliant, awe-inspiring experiences while incorporating seamlessly with the smart home. The company designs a collection of televisions, sound bars, and the SmartCast® smart TV platform with the consumer's desires in mind, and has been rated America's Fastest Growing TV Brand with Quantum Dot³ and America's Fastest Growing Sound Bar Brand with Dolby Atmos⁴. VIZIO product leadership is consistently highlighted by industry reviews and awards, and most recently received 30 Best of CES 2020 accolades.

© 2020 VIZIO, Inc. VIZIO, the V Logo, VIZIO SmartCast®, VIZIO SmartCast® Home and other terms and phrases are trademarks or registered trademarks of VIZIO, Inc. All other trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

¹ Source: The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Weekly Retail Tracking Service, LCD TV, Based on units, Jan. 6, 2019 – Nov. 30, 2019 combined.
² Source: The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Weekly Retail Tracking Service, Based on Units, Dec. 24, 2017 – Feb. 15, 2020 Combined.
³ Source: The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Weekly Retail Tracking Service, LCD TV, Quantum dots included, Based on units, Jan. 6, 2019 – Nov. 30, 2019 vs. Dec. 31, 2017 – Nov. 24, 2018 combined.
⁴ Source: The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Weekly Retail Tracking Service, Sound Bars, Dolby Atmos, Based on Units, Dec. 23, 2018 – Nov. 23, 2019 vs. Dec. 24, 2017 – Nov. 24, 2018 Combined.