Best Buy and TiVo Ally

TiVo, the maker of digital video recorders (DVRs), has entered into a strategic alliance with Best Buy to drive greater distribution of TiVo products and to provide Best Buy with a digital platform in the home to strengthen its customer relationships. As part of the agreement, the parties plan to investigate development of a unique user interface for TiVo DVRs purchased at Best Buy, which would provide Best Buy a platform to more effectively market its digital content services and to provide an ongoing dialogue with customers about Best Buy’s various retail offerings. Best Buy is making a commitment to TiVo to substantially increase the levels of marketing and merchandising of retail TiVo DVR devices.

"By virtue of TiVo having become not only a DVR, but also a media center combined with the only universal cable box that can plug into any cable system in the United States, Best Buy will have the opportunity to both greatly expand the digital options and features available to its TV customers while also simplifying them at the same time," said Tom Rogers, president and CEO of TiVo in a prepared statement.

In a recent story about Flash set-tops, a Best Buy executive said the number one customer request was to get the Internet over TV. (For more, click here). (For more on TiVo, click here).