The upstart over-the-air television carrier Aereo is moving on to other regions after expanding to Atlanta and Boston earlier in 2013. Starting August 19, residents across the state of Utah will be able to rent out an Aereo mini-antenna to get access to about 25 channels including local ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox affiliates, as well as PBS and a number of specialty interest channels. The Utah roll out comes less than a month before Aereo plans to come to Chicago on September 13.
Aereo is a controversial new service that threatens to upset the traditional market between broadcast television and cable providers. For $8 a month, customers can rent out a miniature antenna in an Aereo data center to get access to over-the-air broadcasts in their area. These broadcasts can then be streamed online through a PC-based Web browser, smartphone, or tablet. Aereo also provides 20 hours of online DVR service to record and playback broadcasts at a later date. For an extra $4 per month, customers can get another 40 hours of DVR storage for a total of 60 hours.
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While Aereo sounds like a good deal for consumers, the New York-based start-up is sending broadcast providers and content producers into a tizzy. Earlier in July, Boston's ABC affiliate WCVB filed a lawsuit against Aereo alleging copyright infringement against the service provider. "Aereo's method of conducting business destabilizes the free, over-the-air television broadcast industry," Hearst-owned WCVB said in its complaint filed with the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. "If Aereo is permitted to profit from the unauthorized retransmission of copyrighted television programming, it will encourage other infringers to do the same."
The Boston suit follows a case filed against Aereo in March 2012 in New York City by a consortium of television broadcasters including the affiliates for ABC, CW, Fox, NBC, PBS, and Univision. The broadcasters have tried to shut down Aereo through a preliminary injunction several times since the legal fight in Manhattan began. So far, however, Aereo has been able to stay alive in New York, successfully fending off its most recent injunction challenge last Tuesday.
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