The immediate reaction is mixed, but I think this is a big deal… and it’s only a matter of time before it comes to Sky+. Tivo has announced a new advertiser-friendly feature:
TiVo subscribers will be able to create searches and select advertising content, ranging from one minute to 60 minutes, from any of the five different product categories of interest and have it delivered directly to their Now Playing section of the TiVo service.
Yes, there are times when I actively want to watch TV advertising. And advertisers will get a much better bang for their buck (or over here, their pound) if I’m actively opting in. The challenge will be to develop a search algorithm as smart as Google’s.