“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” comes to Twitch to raise money for PBS
It's about to be a beautiful day in the digital neighborhood.
Starting Monday, social video platform Twitch will host an 18-day marathon of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" aimed to raise money for local PBS stations by way of an onscreen donation panel.
Fans can join in on the shared viewing experience at anytime from the kickoff at 12:00 pm PT on May 15 until it wraps up on June 3 after 886 episodes of the children's classic have aired.
"From listening to feedback, it became clear that the Twitch community has not only embraced content which goes beyond gaming, they want more of it," Twitch's Bill Moorier said in a statement. "We were drawn to 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' because Fred Rogers was a positive voice in fostering inclusivity and diversity and, like our streamers, he talked to the viewers as if they were in the room with him. While his show was geared toward children, his messages have universal appeal."
In a recent interview with TechCrunch, Twitch's Jane Weedon tied the fundraising aspect of the marathon to the recent proposal by President Donald Trump's White House to cut funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS. "Mister Rogers not only brings a different type of show into the mix, but it is coming at a time when the importance of PBS is very topical," she said.
Viewers can enjoy as much "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" as they want starting May 15 at Twitch's site.
