Aereo Offers Free One-Hour Trials Amid Battle With Broadcasters

The Barry Diller-backed online television streaming startup is embroiled in a battle with major broadcasters of retransmission rights

Aereo, Barry Diller's online television-streaming startup, is offering free trials of its product ahead of its next legal clash with major broadcasters.

The company is offering one free hour of continuous streaming to customers in New York City — its sole market to date. 

The move comes three weeks after a New York judge ruled against issuing an injunction on Aereo after a group of broadcasters including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, PBS and Univision alleged that the company does not have the rights to retransmit their programming.

Also read: Judge Rejects Broadcasters' Bid Against Barry Diller's Aereo (Updated)

Aereo picks up the programming on a cluster of antennas at its headquarters in Brooklyn, then transmits them to Aereo subscribers.

Subscription fees were also restructured to provide options, ranging from a $1 day pass to $8 for 20 hours a month, $12 for 40 hours a month or $80 for a year, before tax.

"We know that one size does not fit all, that's why we've designed our new pricing structure to work for a wide variety of lifestyles," CEO Chet Kanojia said in a statement. "Our pricing is designed to work with the consumer — not against them."

Also read: Broadcasters Appeal Judge's Refusal to Shut Down Aereo

The service is available on iPad, iPhone, Safari on MacBook, AppleTV and Roku.

But the announcement is bound to stoke to the goliath opposition by the 17 networks that want to shutter Aereo. 

The networks did not immediately issue a statement.

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