EXCLUSIVE: Pattrn, a climate-themed FAST channel owned by Allen Media Group, will stop programming next month, returning to its social media roots and keeping a weekend TV presence on The Weather Channel.
A rep for AMG confirmed to Deadline that Pattrn’s 24/7 programming will come to an end on December 8. With distribution on MVPDs like Verizon FiOS and streaming platforms like Plex and AMG’s own Local Now, Pattrn was available to 50 million monthly global users, AMG estimated in 2021.
The Pattrn TV show will air Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on The Weather Channel, which Allen acquired in 2018 for $300 million. Pattrn’s content will continue to circulate on social media as well as on YouTube.
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While significant ad dollars and programming are targeting FAST, which is now a multi-billion-dollar market, some veterans predict a shakeout will soon trim the channel roster. One estimate earlier this year put the total number of channels in North America at more than 1,500, several times larger than cable TV at its peak. Because most of the programming is not premium and technology allows sales to occur without sizable ad sales staffs, FAST channels have steadily gained scale over the past decade, offering at least some counter to pay-TV cord-cutting.
Climate programming in some ways has been more compelling than ever of late, with major storms like Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton and other extreme weather events this year attracting viewer attention. Over the long haul, however, environmental or climate-themed fare has proven a difficult sell, with linear channels like Sundance or the now-defunct Pivot failing to attract consistent viewership with it.
The post Pattrn, Allen Media Group’s Climate-Themed FAST Channel, Shutting Down In December But Keeping Online Presence And Weather Channel TV Show appeared first on Deadline.
