Each PBS station can only offer its live stream to users in their service area.
If you attempt to view the live stream of a PBS station outside of your area, the error message "The livestream is not available in your current location" will appear.
We recommend seeing if other PBS stations in your area offer a live stream by changing your local station on the site.
by following these directions. When selecting a new station, please select a PBS station in your local area.
Once the PBS.org website updates with the new local station in your area, you should be able to view their live stream.
I only see this error on my streaming device (Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV) or see a alphanumeric code like P12-B34-S567-V890:
This error can occur when your IP address is providing an inaccurate location, even if you reside near the PBS station you are attempting to livestream.
Not every IP address is the same, and some IP addresses provide locations from a large range of locations - sometimes several hundred miles. Geolocation is usually an approximation, and isn't always accurate. If your IP address is telling the PBS app that you live outside of your station's area, then you'll be unable to view the station livestream via that IP address.
This often only occurs on television streaming devices without GPS chips - like Roku. More advanced devices, like your smart phone and computer, have their own GPS services that the PBS site and app can fall back on to confirm your location. On less advanced devices, our app can only rely on the location your IP address is providing.
If you encounter this error, we recommend trying one of the below options:
- Try watching the livestream for a different station served by your IP address. To see which stations your device can livestream with, open the PBS app and select Profile > Change Station and select a station from the list of default stations on the right-hand side. Do not enter your zip code before selecting a station.
- View the livestream on a smart phone, tablet, or the PBS.org website on your computer
- Try connecting to a different network on your device through its network settings, though this is not guaranteed to work and is dependent on your home networks
- Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) regarding your IP address location
- Submit a correction request to MaxMind, our third-party for location services. You can request MaxMind update their database by using this form and providing your current location and IP address. Find my IP Address.
We are looking into a more permanent solution for our viewers, but this issue is outside of our control at this time.