Free Streamer Zeam Acquires NewsON

At Streaming Smarter, we love free streaming services, and there’s a major headline for anyone who enjoys free news. Zeam has acquired NewsON. The move means Zeam will have local news from all 201 major media markets in the U.S.

NewsON was home to more than 285 local stations from 25 ownership groups. At our last count, the service offered news from 80 ABC stations, 59 NBC affiliates, 65 CBS channels, and 36 FOX affiliates.

In 2024, Jack Perry, CEO of Zeam, claimed that viewers returned to the platform six times a day, spending 90 minutes in all. Seems high, but there are people who love local news.

Zeam was previously called VUit before its rebrand.

When it comes to free news, we still favor Haystack News for its innovative source aggregation, ability to skip segments, and its excellent mix of sources. But Zeam, Very Local, Xumo Play, Local Now, Tubi, and Plex are all helpful when trying to watch segments from your local stations for free.

The right option for you depends on which local channels you like to watch – each service offers a different lineup of markets from around the country.