Disrupting the Broadcasting Industry
Photo credit: Boston Business Journal
Chaitanya "Chet" Kanojia, founder of Aereo, has produced a product that is so disruptive that he's been sued four times and may end up in front of the Supreme Court in 2014 to defend his business's idea.
What does Kanojia say to this challenge? "Bring it on."
Along with most courts he's stood in front of, Kanojia believes the idea behind Aereo is perfectly legal. It's simple: why not stream network TV straight to viewers online at roughly $8/month? Major networks and affiliates, however, stand to lose as much as $3 billion in rebroadcasting fees to the idea. Other organizations such as the NFL and MLB who cash in on major deals with the television networks stand to lose a lot as well. Needless to say, they're all fighting Kanojia tooth and nail. Run a google search of Aereo to read all the buzz. Or, check out this Inc. article.
Perhaps Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon, said it best. "Companies have short life spans. Amazon will be disrupted one day. I don't worry about it because I know it's inevitable. Companies come and go. I can only work on delaying that date for Amazon." During this same 60 minutes interview, he was also asked about how he feels about what his company is doing to small business owners. His response? "The Internet is disrupting every media industry. You know, people can complain about that, but complaining is not a strategy. Amazon is not happening to book selling; the future is happening to book selling."
Whether or not we all agree with that sentiment, there's no question, we are living in the era of disruption.