Chicago Area TiVo Subscribers To Receive Critics Recommendations
The New York Times is reporting a new deal between TiVo and The Chicago Tribune, which is expected to be announced tomorrow. Under the deal, the approximately 100,000 TiVo subscribers in the Chicago area will be able to sign up to receive program recommendations from Tribune TV critic Maureen Ryan, which their TiVo's could automatically record. In addition, Ryan will record special videos summarizing her picks twice a month which will be delivered to the TiVo subscribers who sign up for the service.
To me this sounds like a combination of a Guru Guide, for the recommendations, and a special TiVoCast channel for her videos. Which is a new way to use the existing platforms.
TiVo CEO Tom Rogers said that TiVo is in talks for similar partnerships in other areas. And it sounds like there is some revenue sharing with The Tribune in this deal: The more immediate benefit may come from Chicago-area consumers who choose to subscribe to TiVo after seeing the newspaper’s advertisements of the service. The Tribune will receive a share of the new subscriber revenue.
Since TiVo's quarterly call is tomorrow, we'll probably hear about this then.
To me this sounds like a combination of a Guru Guide, for the recommendations, and a special TiVoCast channel for her videos. Which is a new way to use the existing platforms.
TiVo CEO Tom Rogers said that TiVo is in talks for similar partnerships in other areas. And it sounds like there is some revenue sharing with The Tribune in this deal: The more immediate benefit may come from Chicago-area consumers who choose to subscribe to TiVo after seeing the newspaper’s advertisements of the service. The Tribune will receive a share of the new subscriber revenue.
Since TiVo's quarterly call is tomorrow, we'll probably hear about this then.