ALLEN MEDIA GROUP'S THE WEATHER CHANNEL CONTINUED TO BE THE #1 SOURCE OF LIFESAVING COVERAGE AS HURRICANE IAN DEVASTATED FLORIDA AND THE SOUTHEAST

The Weather Channel Television Network, The Weather Channel Streaming App, Local Now, The Weather Channel en Español and theGrio Delivered Unrivaled Critical Lifesaving Storm Information Across Multiple Platforms 

ATLANTA and LOS ANGELES, Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viewers had more access to Hurricane Ian coverage than ever before due to the around-the-clock live coverage from Allen Media Group (AMG), led by America's most trusted news brand The Weather Channel television network and The Weather Channel Streaming App. AMG's streaming brands Local Now, The Weather Channel en Español and theGrio also provided free local and national coverage of the devastating storm. AMG brands, led by The Weather Channel, provided unparalleled expertise and weather coverage on both linear and digital platforms to help viewers prepare and stay safe for this record-breaking storm.

The Weather Channel, once again proved it is the network Americans turn to when they need critical lifesaving weather news and information.

• Reached 1 in 4 U.S. households over the course of the network's initial storm coverage (September 24 – September 28)
• Was the #1 cable network for audiences 25-54 during Hurricane Ian's landfall day (9/28) and
• Ranked in the top five among all cable networks for the duration of the storm, according to Nielsen data

The Weather Channel stationed teams in hurricane-affected areas across Florida and the Carolinas. As Hurricane Ian approached the coast of Florida and made landfall, The Weather Channel experienced strong viewer engagement among adults 25-54, averaging more than 2.5 hours in time spent viewing. The Weather Channel also broadcast its live Hurricane Ian coverage on SiriusXM channels 134 and 512 and provided continuous updates across Facebook and Twitter as the storm intensified and approached landfall.

The Weather Channel Streaming App made it possible for the first time ever during a major hurricane for viewers to access the television network's live around-the-clock coverage on Roku, Amazon Fire, Samsung and Android streaming platforms. In addition to the network's live feed, viewers could watch a special multi-camera live stream of the hurricane's landfall and resultant storm surge via the Hurricane Ian Landfall Cams Special Stream. During Hurricane Ian's Florida landfall, the average consumer spent 4 hours in the app. The Weather Channel Streaming App is available for authenticated cable customers or via Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) subscription packages which include a 7-day free trial. The Weather Channel saw unprecedented increases in new DTC subscribers and streaming viewers, who consumed 74.6 million minutes over the 3-day storm period (9/27 - 9/29) – a peak for the network.

Local Now, the nation's fastest growing free-streaming platform for local news, weather, sports and entertainment, provided audiences access to live coverage across all its markets, including nine local network-affiliated channels in the state of Florida. Viewers could access for free Local Now's coverage of the storm, localized for every market, on their phones, laptops and favorite connected TV platforms. During Hurricane Ian, Local Now saw record high audiences and gained a 44% increase in viewing hours versus the average of the prior 3-day span, with almost half of its consumption hours occurring on the day of landfall.

The Weather Channel en Español – the first 24/7 Spanish-language free-streaming weather news network in the United States – streamed live coverage of the storm which featured dedicated meteorologist Felecia Combs reporting live from Englewood, FL. When Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico beginning on September 13^th, AMG, The Weather Channel, and The Weather Channel en Español made history by covering this storm simultaneously in both English and in Spanish. The Weather Channel en Español viewers were able to stream Hurricane Ian coverage on The Weather Channel Streaming App, Local Now, Sports.tv, theGrio, Roku Channel, Fubo Latino, Xumo, YouTubeTV, and Canela.tv.

TheGrio news network and website shared digital updates that spoke to the severity and effects of the category 4 storm. The individual performance of each platform during this severe weather event shows the importance of the stellar brands that make-up AMG's portfolio and highlights the media company's larger commitment of ensuring that lifesaving news and information is accessible to everyone.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the people and communities that were impacted by this devastating storm," said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. "There's no news source America trusts more than The Weather Channel when facing massive life-threatening storms like Hurricane Ian. I am incredibly proud of the way our teams worked around the clock, coordinating with government officials at all levels, to ensure Americans had access to real-time lifesaving information. We have invested heavily to ensure that every human being, no matter their background or economic circumstance, has access to the news they need."

Live coverage of Hurricane Ian's destructive winds, flooding rainfall and the resulting aftermath continues across AMG brands: The Weather Channel, The Weather Channel Streaming App, Local Now, The Weather Channel en Español, and theGrio.

Chairman and CEO Byron Allen founded Allen Media Group in 1993. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it has offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Charleston, SC. Allen Media Group owns 27 ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX network affiliate broadcast television stations in 21 U.S. markets and twelve 24-hour HD television networks serving nearly 220 million subscribers: THE WEATHER CHANNEL, THE WEATHER CHANNEL EN ESPAÑOL, PETS.TV, COMEDY.TV, RECIPE.TV, CARS.TV, ES.TV, MYDESTINATION.TV, JUSTICE CENTRAL.TV, THEGRIO, THIS TV, and PATTRN. Allen Media Group also owns the streaming platforms HBCU GO, THE GRIO STREAMING APP, SPORTS.TV, THE WEATHER CHANNEL STREAMING APP, and LOCAL NOW--the free-streaming AVOD service powered by THE WEATHER CHANNEL and content partners, which delivers real-time, hyper-local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle information. Allen Media Group also produces, distributes, and sells advertising for 68 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, Allen Media Group provides video content to broadcast television stations, cable television networks, mobile devices, and multimedia digital. Our mission is to provide excellent programming to our viewers, online users, and Fortune 500 advertising partners.

Since its launch 40 years ago, The Weather Channel television network has become the top-rated and most widely distributed weather network in America. The Weather Channel television network has been the leader in severe weather coverage, providing the most comprehensive analysis of any media outlet and serving as the nation's only 24-hour source of national storm coverage. With trusted meteorologists who analyze, forecast and report the weather, its expertise is unrivaled. In 2021 and 2019, The Weather Channel won Emmy Awards for its innovative Immersive Mixed Reality technology which is changing the standard in weather presentation. The Weather Channel CTV app is available on Amazon Fire, Android TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and will be coming soon to Vizio and Xfinity Flex. For more information visit: www.weathergroup.com.

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 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.

The Weather Channel en Español network is the first 24/7 Spanish-language free-streaming weather news network in the United States, providing weather coverage and news across the U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America. The network is 100% free and available across over-the-top streaming platforms. The Weather Channel en Español offers a variety of Spanish language weather content, including regionally specific forecasting, storytelling that will help viewers understand the variation behind weather events, and climate science and the human impacts. The Weather Channel en Español is an extension of The Weather Channel television network, the #1 source for weather news and information on TV. For more information follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

In 2016, Byron Allen and Allen Media Group purchased theGrio, a highly-rated digital video-centric news community platform devoted to providing African-Americans with compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national news outlets. TheGrio features news and opinion pieces on lifestyle, politics, health, business, and entertainment. The digital platform informs more than 100 million visitors annually. Month over month, theGrio is the number one Black news site in its competitive set. TheGrio is available everywhere you watch—as an over-the-air television network, on the web, a mobile app, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, streaming on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, AppleTV, and now as a television network, TheGrio Television Network. TheGrio Television Network is now available on Charter/Spectrum, Comcast Xfinity, Cox, DirecTV, Dish, Verizon Fios, Vizio, AT&T U-verse, FreebieTV, TiVo, IMDB.tv and Redbox, as well as select local over-the-air broadcast television stations. TheGrio is also streaming on Amazon Prime Video, DirecTV STREAM, Fire TV, Freevee (IMDB), Freecast (SelectTV), Local Now, PlutoTV, TiVo and XUMO. TheGrio is everywhere you watch, anyway you want to watch, no paywall, free. Check your local listings.

SOURCE Allen Media Group