Allen Media Group Turns Local Now Into A Free Hyperlocal Streamer In addition to live channels that feature national news, superstar talent and marquee content partners, Local Now’s state-of-the-art streaming platform now also delivers original local news, weather and information, customized by market. By Mark K. Miller | April 20, 2021 | 1:38 p.m. ET. Local Now, a streaming platform that Byron Allen acquired when he bought The Weather Channel back in 2018, has been undergoing changes since that time. Now, it has been transformed into a free, ad-supported streaming service featuring local news and premium content. Local Now is available on most major platforms and will continue to expand.