Aereo expands TV on-the-go service to 3 more states, launches first big ad campaign

Aereo, a service that lets users watch live TV on their iPhones and laptops, has expanded from New York City to now stream in 29 counties across New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The company is also kicking off a major billboard campaign in the New York area.

For the unfamiliar, Aereo is a subscription service that lets users sign up for $ 1 a day or $ 8 month to watch over-the-air TV on their mobile devices and to record shows for later viewing. The technology involves assigning two dime-sized antennas to each subscriber which beam the TV from Aereo’s offices (you can see photos of the antennas in action here).

Until now, Aereo has kept a low profile, offering its service with little fanfare in New York City. But at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas this January, Aereo said it would roll out to 22 new markets in coming months. The decision to go live in the new areas around New York City — see the full list below — was announced by Aereo this morning and appears to be the first step in the planned expansion. Aereo is also expected to soon offer the service for non-Apple devices.

The expansion comes as Aereo remains locked in a bitter legal battle with ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox which are suing to shut it down. The networks argue that Aereo is infringing its copyright by retransmitting its signals without permission; Aereo counters that its personal antenna system means the transmissions are private and within the law (you can read legal details here).

To learn more about how Aereo is disrupting TV and other cutting edge media topics, come hear CEO Chet Atkin speak at paidContent Live in New York on April 17.

The list of counties that can tune into Aereo now include: New York’s Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, Sullivan, Orange, Dutchess; Connecticut’s Fairfield County; Pennsylvania’s Pike County; New Jersey’s Bergen, Warren, Union, Sussex, Somerset, Passaic, Ocean, Morris, Monmouth, Middlesex, Hunterdon, Hudson, and Essex. Check zip code eligibility here.

Upcoming: paidContent Live, Apr. 17, 2013, New York, Save $ 100, register by 3/22. More upcoming conferences.