TiVo recently announced its intention to add 10 broadband channels for its subscribers to enjoy, in addition to its current television programming.
The new service is called TiVoCast™, a revolutionary new service which will deliver broadband video directly to the television sets of TiVo subscribers. It will be available initially to the 10% of TiVo’s subscriber base who own the broadband-enabled television set tops. That figure translates to about 440,000 subscribers.
The broadband content providers currently in agreement with TiVo include: the NBA and the WNBA; The New York Times; Heavy.com; CNET.com; iVillage.com; Rocketboom; Here!; Union on Demand; H20-HipHop on Demand and Danger Rangers.
“The range and quality of broadband video is exploding on the Web, but it’s not TV until it is on the TV,” said Tom Rogers, CEO of TiVo. “With the TiVoCast service, we are once again transforming the television experience by bringing the rapidly expanding array of video content on the Internet into the living room.”
Just as television content is easy to find and navigate through the TiVo interface, the TiVoCast service makes it easy to enjoy Web-based video content. TiVo subscribers will be able to easily find this content through the Showcases area on TiVo Central, the main menu of the TiVo service. The content will be offered free of charge to subscribers. TiVo and its partners will have the ability to integrate advertising within the content. All of this content will be available to any TiVo® Series2™ DVR connected via broadband.
“Television is still the preferred platform for watching video. The TiVoCast service captures mainstream and specialty-based content on the Web, delivering programming that is not otherwise available through the TV today and providing a wide variety of choice that will be of interest to all segments of the TV audience,” said Tara Maitra, TiVo’s Vice President and General Manager, Programming. “The TiVoCast service provides niche networks and broadband content suppliers, for which the economics of television distribution might not make sense, a way to connect with audiences in the living room via their favorite medium for watching video, TV and TiVo.”
“The NBA is always looking to utilize innovative ways to connect with our fans and bring them closer to the game,” said Steven Justman, Vice President of Global Media & NBA TV. “As The Finals tip off this week, our special Finals Showcase on TiVo will capture the greatest Finals moments in history and our players’ passion for the game as Miami and Dallas begin their quest for an NBA Championship.”
“We are always looking for new opportunities to bring The Times’s journalism to our readers and TiVo’s new TiVoCast service is an ideal example,” said Nicholas Ascheim, senior product manager, NYTimes.com. “TiVo has been a pioneer in changing the way people consume video content and The Times has been an innovator in changing the way people consume news and information. This licensing agreement between our companies is a natural pairing.”
“Our successful charter relationship with TiVo is evidence that today’s consumers are ready for an on-demand channel about personal technology,” said Joe Gillespie, executive vice president of CNET. “We’re excited to reintroduce CNET TV for TiVo subscribers because we know that nothing helps demystify technology as well as video.”
“Hip Hop and Urban culture fans are addicted to TiVo because there is so little content that caters to this large and growing audience,” said Will Griffin, Founder and CEO, Def On Demand. “TiVo is a must-have because it allows our fans to experience their favorite content anytime and for as long as they want.”
For TiVo’s broadband video content partners, the agreement delivers access to more than 400,000 TiVo subscribers and enables consumers to easily access the content directly from their television sets in their homes. TiVo will give these outlets a platform to reach their consumers and enthusiasts in a direct and effective way, providing them a vital opportunity to be profitable through distribution, introduction of advertising, subscription plans, or pay-per-view.
