Powering Content Distribution Beyond Broadcast

Over the course of a decade of partnership, PBS transformed from a traditional media company to a digital media leader, delivering award-winning content via web, mobile, and connected devices.

PBS is the most trusted name in public broadcasting, offering news, education, and entertainment programming for viewers of all ages.

Opportunity

In 2009, amid growing demand for content access, the PBS executive team knew they needed to make the leap from a coalition of terrestrial broadcast companies to a digital-first organization. Inefficient and fragmented, each of PBS’ 187 member stations was building their own solution to power online viewing experiences.

Solution

3Pillar partnered with PBS to stand up a new digital organization trained in agile methodologies. Our team developed the original iPad apps for PBS and PBS KIDS, built custom CMSs for member stations to deploy consistent online content, and created a set of APIs that serves PBS content everywhere, including mobile, OTT, and STB platforms. The groundwork we laid has given PBS unprecedented control over when and where their content appears.

Outcome

The PBS and PBS KIDS apps have racked up 58M+ downloads, and the products we’ve developed have won SIIA CODiE and Webby Awards.

“This is huge. Every single online viewer will notice and benefit from the massive performance increase of this new content service architecture.”

Matt Norton, Senior Director of Technology, PBS Digita

“The information provided is so key to what we are solving.”

Scott Nourse, SVP, Digital Product Development