TiVo launches advertising search product for TVs

TiVo today announced that it plans to offer the first television-based advertising search solution in Spring 2006. Leveraging TiVo's television search capabilities that enhance the TV viewing experience, the new product will deliver relevant, targeted advertising to subscribers that want to view particular advertising categories.

Leading media and advertising agencies including Interpublic Media, OMD, Starcom Mediavest Group and The Richards Group, as well as Comcast Spotlight, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, have worked with TiVo to provide their expertise in the development of this revolutionary product. Agency research and development techniques will contribute in determining relevant categories of interest, such as automotive, travel, telecommunications, and consumer packaged goods, as well as determine relevant pricing models.

Today television advertising is almost entirely delivered when adjacent to mass programming. For the first time, advertisers will have the ability to deliver television advertising, on demand and targeted to consumers, without the limitations of traditional television media placement. Advertisers will be able to reach viewers in the market for a certain product or service. Ads will be delivered to subscribers who can conduct a search for a product by category or associated with keywords, utilizing the same revolutionary keyword search techniques offered with Internet advertising, resulting in increased relevancy for the consumer, as well as efficient, measurable results for the advertiser.

This new advertising approach presents an opportunity for TiVo(R) service subscribers to search for relevant information on products or services that match their needs. The heightened viewer experience that the new offering is intended to provide will deliver non-intrusive, relevant, interactive advertising, on a opt-in basis. TiVo subscribers, if they choose to use the search capability, will retain control over their viewing experience through the creation of a viewer contributed profile via the set-top box that will enable them to receive advertisements based on their interests.

"TiVo is once again introducing to the TV landscape a new and innovative advertising solution that is intended to deliver an even better viewing experience for subscribers," said Tom Rogers, President and CEO of TiVo. "TiVo intends to capture the best of the Internet advertising model and create a unique advertising product for the television medium that will provide measurable results. TiVo is committed to working with our advertisers, their agencies and our cable partners to develop new and innovative advertising solutions," said Davina Kent, Vice President, National Advertising Sales.
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TiVo launched a successful interactive direct response advertising program in August, where subscribers were given the opportunity to respond to a customized call to action or branded "tag" in select commercial spots. TiVo's new search advertising product allows advertisers to further engage their target consumers with the benefits of the television experience.

TiVo's relationships with service providers such as Comcast, DirecTV, Cablevision, Cebridge Connections and the National Cable Television Cooperative, along with its loyal customer base, provides advertisers a solid platform to reach TiVo's highly valuable and passionate subscribers.