Locast is now live in Madison, Wisconsin, marking the first time the free streaming service has expanded in 2021. Now, residents in the newly supported area are able to access local live TV channels for free over the internet.
Locast launched in 2018 and since then, it has been slowly expanding to more locations in the United States. In particular, 2020 saw a number of new locations and cities gaining support. The most recent of which was Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pennsylvania and Indianapolis. Both of these location supports went live in October with no further expansions announced since then.
Today, Locast confirmed it has now expanded service support to Madison, Wisconsin. As a result of the latest location support, locast says 650,000 residents living in the Madison, Wisconsin area now have the option of streaming more than 30 local TV channels for free. Locast also explained it is now serving more than 2 million registered users in 26 markets.
The announcement specifically points out that the expansion arrives just in time for the Green Bay Packers to take on the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, with the game available for free on Fox channel 47. This is notable as the availability of local live sports has taken a hit recently, due to a number of live TV streaming services having failed to agree terms for many local live TV stations.
Streaming local live TV for free
Besides access to live sports, a service like Locast also offers access to important information, such as news and weather. This is particularly useful to residents in rural areas who might find it hard to access reliable and stable live TV signals via traditional over-the-air solutions. As Locast is served over the internet, accessing these same local stations and networks is simply a matter of downloading the app on a supported device and watching.
For Madison, Wisconsin residents now considering giving the service a try, there are some points to be aware of. Most notably, although Locast is free, it is also a service that asks for donations to help further expand its rollout ambitions. The donation model is not a one-time payment, but a recurring monthly payment akin to a subscription, with donations starting at $5 per month. Although optional, some users have highlighted a reduced streaming experience when using Locast without donating.
Source: Locast
