Blaze Media is launching Blaze Live, an ad-supported, 24/7 digital linear streaming channel, through Pluto TV, TheWrap can reveal exclusively.
The Blaze Live lineup will feature first-run content from the likes of Blaze Media founder Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, Steven Crowder, Dave Rubin and Candace Owens. The free, ad-supported programming will act as a subset of the full array of premium programming available to subscribers on BlazeTV, Blaze Media’s direct-to-consumer OTT platform. (BlazeTV will still be the only platform offering the company’s complete programming, ad-free and on-demand.)
“Since the launch of Blaze Media in December of 2018, we have been honored that viewers are increasingly turning to BlazeTV for bold, honest discourse and free expression, and as a more dynamic alternative to traditional cable news programming,” Blaze Media CEO Tyler Cardon said in a statement.
He continued, “We are excited to partner with Pluto TV, which is filling a similar void for consumers who enjoy watching linear TV programming online. Pluto TV is a perfect distribution partner at a time when consumers are utilizing so many new platforms, services and models to access and share the content they crave.”
Blaze Media bills itself as the largest independent conservative media company. Indeed, TheBlaze placed in the top four most-visited sites through every month of 2019 on Howard Polskin’s The Righting, which tracks traffic to conservative websites.
The news of the Pluto TV channel comes three months after it was first reported that Blaze Media would be shutting down its cable channel by the end of 2019 but maintaining its digital properties — including video-on-demand services and website and radio presences.