When the free streaming service Locast shut down last month after losing a crucial court battle with TV networks, it left millions of users without a cheap way to stream local TV channels.
But Locast’s sudden collapse may have created an opportunity for LocalBTV, another service promising free streaming access to local channels without an antenna. The service is currently live in 16 U.S. markets, with an app that users can download on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV devices. James Long, the CEO of Didja, a LocalBTV operator, says he’s hoping to expand the service to 100 markets by the end of next year.
“We just use the public internet to connect to the public airwaves,” Long says. “We’re basically an antenna.”
There is one crucial difference between Locast and LocalBTV, though: Whereas Locast operated without the blessing of TV networks—which led to its legal woes—LocalBTV is getting permission to stream every channel it carries. That means it offers PBS,…
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Source : fastcompany.com
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