Aereo has been making waves of late, winning an important court decision yesterday in its massive legal battle with network broadcasters over the legality of Aereo’s live streaming/DVR system that brings HD video content to any of your devices for a pay-as-you-go option or monthly subscription cost. Plus, rumors have been swirling lately that Aereo may be in talks with major ISPs and TV providers like Dish, DirecTV, and AT&T.
Many have said that Aereo’s legal issues with a large group of major network broadcasters like Fox, NBC, etc. have become a liability working against Aereo in these acquisition/partnership talks. However, in an interview with TechCrunch, CEO and founder Chet Kanojia explained that this latest win is actually further validating Aereo’s stability as a disruptor in the industry. In fact, he believes that this latest move by the court will be beneficial.
Though he wouldn’t name any companies specifically, Kanojia did mention that Aereo is talking to “a lot” of companies who are all “very interested” in working with Aereo. In the end, “it’ll all come back down to what brings the most benefit to the consumer,” said Kanojia. “We’re not going to partner with someone for the sake of partnering with them.”
And has this latest legal win swayed companies in the Aereo direction? Well, Kanojia didn’t confirm anything specifically but he did say that conversations are happening constantly.
In terms of the legal battle, Kanojia doesn’t seem the slightest bit worried. “It’s a financial drain and an intellectual drain,” he admits, but it’s also the nature of the industry.
Kanojia mentioned that, if you look at the history of the TV industry, any real change or innovation was predicated on the backs of dozens of case filings with the courts. It’s a stubborn industry, but those are often the most ripe for change.
“So the fact that you’re being attacked by big players in the industry is actually a good sign, right?” I asked Kanojia. And while he wouldn’t actually call his company’s legal stresses a positive thing, he definitely believes that the court case (and especially the latest rulings) are beneficial in validating Aereo’s place in the market.