Popularly known as PBS, Public Broadcasting Service is a U.S. public broadcaster and TV program distributor. It is a nonprofit organization whose members are the public television stations of America and its unincorporated territories. Since PBS is a nonprofit corporation, it is mainly run by donations from private foundations and public funds.
Eligible donors and supporters enjoy PBS Passport benefits by binging popular programs like American Experience, Nature, Antiques Roadshow, NOVA, American Masters, and Masterpiece. However, they must activate PBS Passport via pbs.org/passport to watch PBS on TV.
This guide will walk you through the entire activation process.
Step 1: Become a PBS Passport Member
To gain access to an on-demand library of awesome programs, you must become a member. For that, you will have to pay a small amount of $5 (Sustainer/Ongoing-monthly gifts) or donate at least $60 a year.
Go to this link and choose your local station by entering the ZIP code or Search by State. After selecting the local station, click the Confirm Station button. You will then click the Become a Member button. Stick to the on-screen guidelines to become a member. Your chosen station will confirm your donation; hence you become a member.
As you are now eligible, you will receive a unique activation code along with activation instructions. Stick to the given guidelines to enjoy your PBS Passport benefit.
Step 2: Enter the Activation Code at pbs.org/passport
The next step involves using the four-word activation code that you receive from your participating station.
Not all PBS stations send you the activation code right away until you become a confirmed member. If your participating PBS station hasn’t sent you the activation code, consider reaching out to it. Or, you may want to use the Passport Lookup Tool to try requesting an activation email.
Here’s a step-by-step process to activate PBS Passport.
- After receiving the activation code from your PBS station, you need to access the activation URL – pbs.org/passport.
- Enter the code in the given field and click the Continue button. (If you don’t know your code, click the “Don’t know your code” link.)
- You will see your membership name and local PBS station on the next screen.
- Here, enter the PBS sign-in details as prompted. (You may use your Google or Facebook account apart from your PBS credentials. If you don’t have an account with PBS, click the Create One Now button.)
- Agree to the Terms by selecting the “I Agree” checkbox and clicking the Confirm button.
- Right there! You will see the Activation Complete! Message on the screen.
After successfully activating your PBS Passport benefits, you can watch your favorite videos anytime, anywhere by visiting pbs.org. Click the Sign In button to start enjoying your Passport benefit.
Step 3: Sign in to Your PBS Account
You are now ready to watch your favorite videos by signing in to your PBS account. You may refer to the steps below to sign in and watch Passport and non-Passport videos.
- Go to www.pbs.org and click the Sign In button at the top menu bar.
- A popup screen will appear, prompting you to select your sign-in preference.
- Use one of the services to sign in to your PBS account (Sign in with the same account you used during Passport activation) –
- Sign in with the PBS Account
- Sign in with Apple
- Sign in with Facebook
- Sign in with Google
- If your account is linked already, you will see your name on the upper left side of the screen.
Step 4: Watch PBS Passport Videos
Now that you sign in to your PBS account, you are ready to stream Passport videos anytime, anywhere. To view videos, here’s what you should do.
- After signing in, you are on the homepage of your PBS account.
- You will see the Passport icon on the Passport videos.
- Click the Video Image or Video Title to enjoy a video.
This is one way of watching Passport videos. You can follow the steps below to watch Passport videos on Apple TV and Roku.
If you use a 4th-generation Apple TV or a Roku device, this handy guide will help you enjoy your PBS Passport member benefit from the participating Public Broadcasting Service stations.
How to Watch PBS Passport Videos on Apple TV?
To watch PBS Passport videos on your Apple TV, you must activate the PBS Video app on your device.
- Turn on your Apple TV and access the App Store.
- Use the remote to search for the “PBS Video” app.
- After seeing the app on the screen, click the Get button.
- After installation, launch the app.
- Now click the Activate Now option to generate an activation code.
- Save the code and visit pbs.org/activate on a compatible browser.
- Enter the code in the desired box and click the Continue button.
- Upon prompted, enter the sign-in details. (You can use your Google, Facebook, PBS, or Apple ID account if linked already.)
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the activation process.
Now, you can return to your Apple TV screen to enjoy streaming your favorite PBS Passport videos.
Steps to Watch PBS Passport Videos on Roku
Apple TV isn’t the only compatible device to watch PBS videos. If you own a Roku device, here are the proven steps to activate the Passport Video app on Roku.
- Go to the Roku home screen by pressing the Home icon on the Roku remote.
- Navigate to the Roku Channel Store and search for the PBS app.
- Click the Add Channel button to install the app.
- Return to the home screen and launch the app.
- Click the Activate Now button to get a 7-digit activation code.
- Leave the screen visible as you access pbs.org/activate on another device – a computer or mobile.
- Here, you will need to enter the code.
- Now, click the Continue button.
- On the following screen, sign in to your PBS account.
A confirmation message will appear on the screen. Then, turn to your Roku device to start watching PBS videos.
