QWEST TV PARTNERS WITH LOCAL NOW, Qwest TV, the global music video hub founded by Quincy Jones and Reza Ackbaraly, is announcing its latest partnership with Byron Allen’s digital platform Local Now, the leading free streaming service for local news and entertainment in the US. With this launch, Qwest TV’s linear channels are now reaching more than 149+ million viewers in 50+ countries across the globe and millions of US households after previous partnerships in the country with Comcast Xfinity, Plex, and VIZIO.

The first free livestream that will be accessible via Local Now is from the Atlanta Jazz Festival ​​on Labor Day weekend (September 5-6). Qwest TV’s mission to make great jazz performances accessible to everyone around the world aligns with Atlanta Jazz Festival’s key cultural and community role “in a city with incredibly deep and important music roots,” as Quincy Jones remarked. Local Now’s mission to cater to every interest in every market further speaks to the excellent fit between the two digital platforms.

Would you like to cover this announcement? Below is the full press release and this Google Drive folder includes assets for use. Please let me know if you’d like more information or to speak with Ackbaraly about this and other recent partnerships.

Thank you,
Zeynep

Quincy Jones’ Qwest TV and Local Now Bring Free High-Caliber Music Channels to US viewers

Qwest TV has partnered with Local Now, the free, ad-supported streaming service featuring hundreds of live channels,  on-demand films and TV content. With this partnership, Qwest TV will now be freely accessible to millions of viewers in the US, bringing the musical vision of Quincy Jones to their screens.

“Local Now is our latest partner in bringing more high-caliber and genre-defying music performances to American viewers,” explains Qwest TV CEO and Co-founder Reza Ackbaraly. “By presenting this music in a new format to new audiences, we’re striving to tear down the barriers that separate different cultures and limit our listening habits. Partnering with an innovative company like Local Now solidifies Qwest TV’s position as the global leader working to ensure openness, curiosity, and inclusivity in our artistic and cultural consumption. We are proud to join an increasingly diverse roster of channels that Local Now has been adding to its service.” 

The first exclusive Qwest TV livestream airing on Local Now will be from the Atlanta Jazz Festival taking place on Labor Day weekend (September 5-6). Qwest TV’s mission to make great jazz performances accessible to everyone around the world aligns with Atlanta Jazz Festival’s key cultural and community role “in a city with incredibly deep and important music roots,” as Quincy Jones remarked. The festival will feature the jazz greats Patti Austin, Archie Shepp and Ron Carter, as well as musicians from younger generations like Jazzmeia Horn, Isaiah Sharkey, and Theo Croker, among others.

With the latest addition to Local Now’s library, Qwest TV’s linear channels are now reaching more than 149+ million viewers in 50+ countries across the globe. “When it comes to experiencing art, access is key,”Ackbaraly says. “Access to high-quality performances and ideas lies at the core of our mission; it’s what drove Quincy and I to found Qwest TV to begin with. Local Now helps us continue to achieve this mission by bringing our content to viewers for free on their device of choice.”

Qwest TV’s linear channels show how artistry, not genres or geography, can guide music enjoyment. They regularly present incandescent concerts by popular artists, back to back with groundbreaking moments in musical history. James Brown and Stan Getz, Nina Simone and Erykah Badu, Anderson.Paak and Yo-Yo Ma can all appear in a single evening’s programming, inviting music fans to hear the connections and feel the connectedness. Channels include:

Qwest TV Classical (including opera, ballet, and exciting concerts from around the world) 

Qwest TV Jazz & Beyond (jazz to soul, funk, blues and global music) 

Qwest TV Mix (indie rock, electronic, and roots-driven artists from around the world who defy style boundaries)

”Qwest TV’s exclusive live stream of The Atlanta Jazz Festival and partnership with Local Now allows jazz lovers to watch this world-class live music event for free,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Local Now parent company Allen Media Group. “Local Now’s mission is to include a channel for every interest, in every market and this partnership helps us deliver on that mission for dedicated music fans.”

Local Now offers localized content including news, traffic updates, and weather information based on the users’ zip code, as well as hundreds of free channels, movies and TV shows. Viewers can access Local Now on a range of devices that include Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Samsung, Vizio, Hisense smart TVs, Android and iOS devices.

About Qwest TV

Qwest TV (qwest.tv) is a celebration of unique talents, traditions, and rhythms. With more than a thousand music-related experiences on offer, the premium video hub strives to be the world’s home for jazz, soul, funk, classical, and music from around the world. Qwest TV’s services include three premium linear television channels (in 5 languages with worldwide rights), Ad-supported Video On Demand (in 5 languages with worldwide rights) and a Subscription Video on Demand Platform (available globally, in 3 languages).  

To enquire about a broadcast partnership with Qwest TV, please contact: 

Raphael Bernardinello
Head of Global Distribution, Qwest TV 
raphael.bernardinello.ext@qwest.tv

Access August programming highlights here.

For more visit qwest.tv, follow on Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter

About Local Now

The Allen Media Group digital platform Local Now is the leading free-streaming service for local news and entertainment in America, delivering localized content to over 225 markets in the U.S. and boasting an endless supply of movies and TV shows from Hollywood’s biggest studios. It offers hundreds of live channels that feature an extensive roster of local and national news, superstar talent and marquee content partners. Local Now’s state-of-the-art streaming platform also delivers original local news, weather and information, customized by market, so viewers can easily stay connected to what matters to them most. Local Now is available on nearly all platforms across OTT on connected TV, Mobile and Web. For more information, please visit: www.localnow.com