BELMONT, CALIF.: Sezmi, the company pushing a set-top consolidated over-the-air TV offering, is launching service in 10 more markets. The company said last week it was providing entry-level “wireless cable” service in Boston; Detroit; Houston; Kansas City, Mo.; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; Miami, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and San Francisco. San Francisco served as a pilot test bed along with Los Angeles. Beta service was commenced in the two cities late last year. Sezmi gear is now available at Los Angeles Best Buy stores as well as online
Content is transmitted via leased broadcast spectrum and through household broadband connections to a set-top receiver with 1 TB of storage. The service is $5 a month for broadcast and broadband content, and $20 or so a month for an additional 25 cable channels. Content providers get a cut of the subscription fees. The one-time hardware costs are $299.99.
Sezmi was started up last year by co-founders Phil Wiser, formerly of Sony, and Buno Pati. The venture received $25 million in third-round funding last November, bringing total private equity investment to $78 million.
-- Deborah D. McAdams
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