You May Soon Be Able to Watch Local Broadcast TV on the Internet

These days you can cut the cord and watch just about anything you want online. However, one key piece of the puzzle is still missing: live local channels. Yes, you can gain get these channels over the air with an antenna, but if you’re looking to watch online, well, not so fast, my friend. While there’s been a little progress in the area, with Sling TV offering ABC and FOX in select markets, and PlayStation Vue offering more locals in several markets, it’s still extremely fractured. Hell, even CBS All Access, the network’s official streaming service, doesn’t offer live local streams in 20 percent of the country. And in those areas where CBS offers cord cutters a live feed, licensing deals still keep you from watching the NFL and other popular programming with annoying blackouts.

However, a new player is entering the streaming game who seeks to change the way local channels are handled. Telletopia, a non-profit streaming service, plans on making live locals available with a 24/7 live stream via the Internet across the United States. This sounds eerily similar to what Aereo tried (and failed) to do back in 2014. However, Telletopia is different, going as far as to say their service was “the exact opposite of Aereo.” In essence, Aereo attempted to exploit a loophole in the law “that dealt with cloud DVR, not with retransmission of local broadcasts.” The company asserts that while “Aereo was attempting to disrupt the entire broadcast industry,” Telletopia wants to be “beneficial to broadcasters at all levels.” That said, there’s still one thing standing in their way: the law.