Here is a good piece on the legal battle from MediaPost and what could be a major disruption in TV and news and how you watch it.
Some interesting stuff:
- Aereo, provided only in New York City, has no paying customers. About 3,500 people have signed up, but they’re still in the 3-month trial period before they have to pay $12 a month.
- The networks are scared. Mediapost reports about “the mass of lawyers – at least three long rows – that occupied the Manhattan court room on Wednesday.”
- Comcast thought about investing in Aereo at one time.
- Mediapost correctly discusses how networks have come to rely on retransmission fees from the cable operators: “a successful Aereo that survives court challenges could set a precedent where cable, satellite and telco TV operators might be able to skirt the payments.”
- Aereo has plans to become a full-scale operation offering, not just local TV programs from public antennas, but also movies and sports across the country.
- A ruling against Aereo ends the company.
Again my predictions if Aereo wins:
- You will start watching TV on the Internet through live streaming. Right now, the cable companies restrict TV stations from streaming live because they’re paying them a fee to air on cable.
- Half of the TV stations won’t exist anymore. Only the TV stations with a strong online presence and the ability to produce good local programming will survive.
- Networks will drop affiliates. They won’t need them. You will get your network programming directly from the network online.
- As more people turn to the Internet or their tablets from programming, more independent producers will create shows for local viewers.
I’ll keep you posted.
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