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TiVo Program Placement adds post-roll ad option to recordings
In a move that satisfies its never ending quests to both develop new revenue streams as well as assist advertisers in counteracting the commercial-skipping culture that it helped create, TiVo has unveiled a new initiative that will tack targeted ads onto the end of subscribers' recorded programs. This so-called "Program Placement" service will exist completely outside the world of traditional 30-second spots, and allows companies to append their commercials to the end of whatever show they please; if you've recorded That's So Raven, for instance, you might get hit with an ad for Disney's Mix Max PMP, or perhaps a pitch for the latest birdsong clock from the Audubon Society. Luckily for customers, the ads will not start playing until the user gives the okay on a post-program splash screen, though apparently the content is downloaded before that decision is made -- so either way, some of your precious hard drive space will be gobbled up, at least temporarily. So far Burger King, GM, and The Weather Channel have signed up to get their post-roll on, with BK's offering seemingly the most ambitious: instead of some long-winded spiel about how great the new Octo Stacker is, viewers have the option of exploring interactive content and getting to really know The King and his Big Huckin' Chicken. Since TiVo cheerleader and all-around good guy Dave Zatz seems tolerant of this new "feature," we suppose that we'll get used to it too, but if the DVR DMR giant starts pulling this crap at the beginning of our recordings too, well, we're gonna get back to that MythTV box which is still sitting half-finished on our workbench.Read- Press releaseRead- AdWeek[Via Zatz Not Funny]
