Tivo to Include Banner Ads During Fast Forwards
Shhh. What's that sound? It's the collective sigh of 2 million Tivo users. Tivo is planning to include banner advertising when you fast forward through commercials starting March of 2005. First we had to pay up from $9.95 a month to $12.95 a month. Now we are going to have to suffer through banner ads.
The company also plans one click feature to give our personal information to marketers if we like the product. Yay more junk mail and telemarketing calls. The next step is "couch commerce." No joke. Tivo expects to generate e-commerce sales using the Tivo remote.
By March, TiVo viewers will see "billboards," or small logos, popping up over TV commercials as they fast-forward through them, offering contest entries, giveaways or links to other ads. If a viewer "opts in" to the ad, their contact information will be downloaded to that advertiser — exclusively and by permission only — so even more direct marketing can take place.
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