"When Verizon Fios customers across Massachusetts scrambled for a way to watch the Patriots-Jets game during the ongoing Fox blackout, an unlikely hero kept popping up on Reddit threads: a free local TV app called Local TV+. Fans praised the app for giving them access to the broadcast - no trials, no contracts, no strings attached. Local TV+, a nonprofit, streams local news stations to iOS and Android users in beta in the Boston metro area."
"The idea began when the founders considered "people, once upon a time, had (free) access to television," said Israel. "It was a basic right, and they should have that again. Everyone should have access to local news, local sports, local everything." And they asked themselves, "What can we do to help?" Given their expertise, they began with the iOS app and are still beta-testing the Android app."
"Fans praised the app for giving them access to the broadcast - no trials, no contracts, no strings attached. The app allows users to watch local news, network shows, live sports, and educational programming without a traditional cable subscription. The app also enables AirPlay to TVs. As a nonprofit, they are allowed to rebroadcast the transmission. They have an antenna up, and they receive the transmission. It passes through their server, then they rebroadcast it via their apps."
Local TV+ provided free streaming of local broadcast TV in the Boston area, allowing viewers to watch local news, network shows, live sports, and educational programming without a cable subscription. During a Fox blackout, Verizon Fios customers used Local TV+ to watch the Patriots-Jets game. The nonprofit app streams to iOS and Android users in beta and supports AirPlay to TVs. Mass Local TV Inc. was formed in late 2023 by Michael Israel, Anu Pokharel, and Alex Yaegle as an all-volunteer nonprofit to provide equitable access to broadcast TV. Donations fund equipment, servers, and bandwidth. The organization receives over-the-air signals via an antenna, passes them through servers, and rebroadcasts them through the app.
Read at Boston.com
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