Are DirecTV, Time Warner Cable And Charter Planning To Mimic Aereo?
Seems they’re considering just that — with Time Warner Cable weighing the possibility of buying the Barry Diller-backed streaming video company — Bloomberg reports today, citing unnamed sources. Aereo uses thousands of tiny antennas to pick up local TV signals that it streams to its subscribers without paying broadcasters a dime. If the cable and satellite companies followed through, it could create a nightmare for broadcasters. TV station owners likely will collect $3B this year from cable and satellite company retransmission consent payments, and the amount is expected to double during the next five years. By 2015 the payments could account for 24% of CBS’ cash flow, 11% of Fox’s, and 3% of Disney’s, Guggenheim Partners’ Michael Morris predicted this week. Much of that revenue could evaporate if cable and satellite companies replicated Aereo’s model. No wonder the major TV station owners have asked several courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, to rule that the service infringes on their copyrights. (Aereo says it merely leases consumers the kind of equipment they could use to watch and stream TV at home for free.)
Related: Nexstar Slaps Aereo With 2nd Utah @uit, Seeks Injunction