TiVo launches division to collect, sell data on ad viewing

Talk about having your cake and eating it too: after having sent the advertising industry into a tizzy by enabling consumers to skip over its commercials, TiVo is now offering to sell those very same ad agencies and their clients hard data on the actual effects of DVR usage. The company's new Audience Research and Measurement division will initially utilize a random sampling of 22,000 subscribers to provide corporate customers with information about specific ads -- such as how many people viewed them during certain airings -- though the numbers will not be tied to specific demographic details. It will also use the collected data to tease out trends that may help advertisers combat the growing "problem" of commercial skipping; for instance, the type of program hosting an ad and its position in the commercial block may explain why it was viewed more often during one broadcast than another. This new offering may see TiVo heading towards a marketplace showdown with ratings giant Nielsen Media Research, whose own ad-tracking initiative is scheduled to launch this fall -- although it will not actually collect data on individual commercials. Once again, we've really got to hand it to TiVo -- the company that once looked poised for bankruptcy in the face of increasing DVR commodification has once again managed to stay in the game by leveraging the power of its considerable subscriber base to further diversify its revenue stream.

[narco @ Jul 26th 2006 2:39PM]

I wonder how many people are going to bitch about this; saying it's "invading their privacy." Quite frankly, I'd actually watch more commercials if the right commercials were playing during the shows I like to watch. I don't see any harm in this.

Fishes,
narco.

[spil @ Jul 26th 2006 2:44PM]

Why do you say "fishes", narco?

[Mack Swift @ Jul 26th 2006 2:44PM]

But this still begs the question: WHat will the broadcasters and advertisers do with this new found data? Will they use it to change their habits? The old way of funding shows by selling times blocks for advertising is disappearing fast. We watch our shows all sorts of ways now (Slingbox, DVRs, iPods, Media Centers, downloads, etc.). Will the broadcasters and advertisers cry foul? Or will they change their business models to accomodate viewers new and changing viewing habits? Only time will tell.

[Moegreen @ Jul 26th 2006 3:09PM]

Personally, I don't really care if Tivo aggregates my viewing habits. Actually, I'm all for it. Those stupid "diaries" used to gauge viewing are a joke. Let advertisers and networks get hard numbers of what people actually watch, and maybe it will help weed out some of the crap network programming.

[Bobby @ Jul 26th 2006 3:15PM]

if they can stop those annoying Vonage commercials, it just MIGHT be worth it.

[Frederik @ Jul 26th 2006 3:16PM]

I want to say: Finally! not that I'm thrilled but they were collecting this information for ages so what took them so long to create another revenue stream.

[My Box Is Hacked @ Jul 26th 2006 3:29PM]

Just another reason to use fakecall.tcl, if you ask me.

[SteveL @ Jul 26th 2006 4:30PM]

I have TiVo and I love it. However, if they want to sell any of my data then they will have to pay me for it. Which they won't do so that is why I my unit set to not allow for data downloads.

[Narco @ Jul 26th 2006 5:29PM]

Cuz I LOVE crack! Fishes!

[BeDammit @ Jul 26th 2006 5:55PM]

Consumers should have the right to participate or not participate.
Regardless of what the data is in fact random and not tied to their personal info.

[I,Robot @ Jul 26th 2006 6:04PM]

Who's going to bitch about this.... I am!

I’m sorry, “the "problem" of commercial skipping”???? WTF!?! There ISN’T a problem, so stop creating one! I got TIVO so I DON’T HAVE TO WATCH COMMERICALS…damit! And while we’re on that subject, TIVO can TAKE OFF that G_DDAM “Products for you!!” non-sense. It’s ONLY free if it’s useful, and all it does is waste space and piss-me-off. I never asked for it and I can’t delete it.

And I certainly didn’t ask for my personal information to be sold to the highest bidder. What makes Advertisers think that just because you have MY information, that I’m going to buy products from YOU?