Studios have had a problem with TiVo since the service showed up earlier this decade. The main point of contention has been the fact that TiVo gives users the ability to easily skip advertisements. This drives advertising costs down because advertisers are less inclined to spend big bucks when potential consumers can just gloss right over their plugs.
TiVo will begin offering next week small link ads that appear at the end of recorded programming. When users finish watching something, they will have an option to delete the material, save it or watch an ad.
This seems to sort of be the two birds with one stone mentality. It attempts to appease studios and advertisers by prominently displaying advertisements while trying to keep customers happy with marginalized ads. It’ll work on broadband connected Series2 receivers. I wonder if it’ll be successful.
TiVo Offers Post-Program Ad To Beat Fast-Forwarding [Information Week]