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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

TiVo May Skip Ads, But It Also Measures Who Is Watching Them

The beauty of TiVo and other  less notable DVR technology is the  power it offers to easily copy and replay programs, whenever you are in the mood to watch.  No expiration of VOD assets to worry about; copy all the episodes of your favorite show and watch at your leisure.  Add to that the convenience of fast forwarding past the commercials and you are in control.  But surprisingly, we are sometimes too lazy to hit the button and we let the ads play through.

Ironic, but what leads to TiVo's need to take advantage of viewership data and match to the ideal profile when pushing ads to the consumer.  And in order to do it well, TiVo has found a partner.  "The television analytics company TiVo is expected to announce on Tuesday that it has acquired full ownership in TRA, a research company that has found success in recent years with a system that matches up television viewing with consumer buying habits."  With best information of household shopping preferences and show interest, ads can be targeted to the right audience in order to get the most effective reach.  And as DVR owners are not taking full advantage of the fast forward feature, they too are being reached.

Why aren't more cable operators offering TiVo technology in their cable box?  Wouldn't their local ad sales efforts be better helped with a collaboration with TiVo verse their own generic DVR?  I wait and wonder.