Aereo’s TV service is coming to Chicago next

Aereo, the TV anywhere startup founded by veteran media entrepreneur Barry Diller, announced today that Chicago will be the next market where its service will be available.

Aereo allows you to watch and record the free over-the-air local television content (from the likes of ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, CW, and other) online via desktops, computers, set-top boxes, and mobile devices. The service does this by providing tiny antennae for each subscriber (thus making the service legal in the eyes of at least East Coast federal judges so far). The company recently simplified its payment model to give subscribers the option of a $8 or $12 per month plan, depending on how many hours you need to record programming.

Aereo is also something that could seriously disrupt the premium cable/satellite television industry in general. Many people complain that they pay over $100 per month and still don’t feel like they have anything to watch. Aereo could be a solution to that, despite lots of legal trouble from media giants like CBS, News Corp., and Comcast.

Chicago marks the fourth city that Aereo will make its service available. Previously, the company launched in New York City, Boston, and soon Atlanta, Ga. The company’s also got tentative plans to roll out service in 22 additional markets by the end of 2014.

“There’s no place like Chicago and we’re excited to be launching in this world-class city in September,” said Aereo CEO and founder Chet Kanojia in a statement. “At Aereo, we feel that we’ve built something meaningful for consumers and we’re proud of the work we’ve accomplished. However, there’s still much more to come as we continue our expansion into new cities throughout the summer and fall.”

Aereo’s service in Chicago is scheduled to launch Sept. 13, and will cover 16 counties across both Illinois and Indiana.