Above: Aereo's service is dead, but the startup doesn't want to rest in peace.
From every angle, Aereo’s streaming service is finished.
The Supreme Court served it a death notice last week. A few days later, the firm terminated its service “temporarily.” But Aereo chief Chet Kanojia still wants users to fight back.
In a public statement, Kanojia asks users to contact their local lawmakers to protest the high court’s ruling. “Don’t let your voices be silenced. Let’s stand together for innovation, progress, and technology,” the executive said.
To fuel activism, the firm has updated its “Protect My Antenna” protest site.
Meanwhile, television industry giants have already moved on and aim to use this ruling to take down Dish Network’s Hopper next.
Here’s Kanojia’s statement, in full:
A Letter to Our Consumers: Standing Together for Innovation, Progress and Technology – Let’s Raise Our Voices
On Saturday, many of you received the news that we decided to pause our operations temporarily, as a result of the United States Supreme Court’s reversal of a lower court decision in favor of Aereo.
Your response in support of the Aereo team has been overwhelming and touching. Your tweets, emails and Facebook posts have made it clear how important it is for so many Americans to have access to a cloud-based antenna to watch live broadcast television. Many of you have asked, “What can we do?”
Today, I’m asking you to raise your hands and make your voices heard. Tell your lawmakers how disappointed you are that the nation’s highest court issued a decision that could deny you the right to use the antenna of your choice to access live over-the-air broadcast television. Tell them your stories of why having access to a cloud-based antenna is important to you and your families. Show them you care about this issue.
Visit the updated ProtectMyAntenna.org, find your representatives and send tweets, emails and Facebook messages asking them to take action to protect your right to use the antenna of your choice to access live free-to-air broadcasts, including the ability to use a cloud-based antenna.
Don’t let your voices be silenced. Let’s stand together for innovation, progress, and technology.
Thank you for your continued support. We are truly grateful.
Yours truly,
Chet Kanojia
Aereo is a New York City-based technology company that allows consumers to access live broadcast television on Internet-connected devices through use of its remote integrated antenna/DVR technology. Aereo allows users to watch live bro... read more »
