American Forces Network recently reached a 1,000,000-hour milestone for its 2-year-old streaminig service. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — U.S. service members, Defense Department civilians, military retirees and their families living overseas together have watched more than 1 million hours of American Forces Network streaming TV since the service launched two years ago, according to the DOD.
“It’s been a good year for AFN and streaming,” Kim Antos, associate director of the AFN Broadcast Center, said in a DOD news release Thursday. “Everyone at AFN worked so hard to make this happen and ensure America’s military overseas have convenient access to high quality news, entertainment and top-rated sports.”
AFN also reported signing up more than 100,000 subscribers for the AFN Now app, which provides live television and on-demand movies and TV shows. The app is available free to all DOD personnel and their families assigned overseas.
“I think the popularity of simulcasting our traditional satellite TV channels enabled us to hit many of these milestones,” Antos said. “Our audiences come for the live sports and news, but they stay for the fantastic entertainment programming we offer.”
An AFN spokesman could not be reached for further comment Sunday in the United States.
In 2024, the NFL authorized AFN to stream every game in the powerhouse sports league to military audiences overseas, the release said.
Marine Staff Sgt. Nils Aylor, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, displays the AFN Now app on his smart phone outside the Marine Corps Exchange at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan on Dec. 30, 2024. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)
“I use AFN Now to watch the football games,” Marine Sgt. Tyler McMullen, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, told Stars and Stripes outside the Marine Corps Exchange at MCAS Iwakuni on Monday. “Being out here, I still love football, so I still got to find some way to watch it.”
“It’s pretty expensive with NFL streaming services, so AFN Now is pretty sick,” McMullen said.
Households can stream the app on up to four platforms, including smartphones, computers and television devices such as Roku, Fire TV Stick and Apple TV.
“I have the app on my phone,” he said. “So, while I’m at work, I have it on the side of my desk and I can watch the games while I’m finishing my work up.”
One feature that McMullen likes about the AFN Now app is the notification system that lets him know when the NFL games start.
“AFN streaming has an important future and we’re just getting started,” Antos said.
