VUit, a free, ad-supported streaming service partnering with several U.S. broadcast TV groups, has added a carriage agreement with Cox Media Group.
Through the deal, VUit will add channels in markets including Boston, Atlanta, Seattle-Tacoma, Orlando and Charlotte. The company said the deal with CMG will expand VUit’s local news coverage to more than 150 of the 210 total markets nationwide.
VUit launched late last year with initial partners including more than 200 television stations owned by Gray Television, Meredith Corporation, Cowles Media Company, Heritage Broadcasting Group and Morgan Murphy Media. The service includes curated channels assembled using autobuild technology from parent company and tech provider Syncbak.
“Hyperlocal news is no longer just for those living in the community. There's an appetite for these stories well beyond the local broadcasters’ markets. Cox is the perfect partner to amplify VUit’s content offerings, and we’re excited to be able to bring the high-quality content of their local stations to viewers nationwide,” said Jack Perry, CEO of Syncbak, in a statement.
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“We continue to see enormous opportunity for local news on digital platforms to not only drive revenue but to extend the quality of our reporting reach of hyperlocal news across the country,” said Marian Pittman, executive vice president of content, product and innovation at CMG, in a statement.
VUit said it will work with the Cox Media Group station partners on not only streaming their current linear local news and culture programming but also creating original content.
“In doing so, VUit will open new opportunities for all its member stations to greatly increase advertising revenue from streaming ads on the platform at no cost to the stations,” the company said in a news release. “In this way, VUit has positioned itself as the definitive home for creating new streaming revenue opportunities for local stations and empowering them to grow and succeed in the face of increased costs and competition, as well as declining retransmission fees.”