Thank Tom Rogers. The former NBC Cable head was appointed to TiVo’s board as vice chmn in Oct to get a cable deal. He succeeded Tues with the PVR maker’s surprise pact with Comcast, a pact that probably saved TiVo’s bacon. Comcast and TiVo will develop a version of the well-branded PVR service that will run on legacy DVR units. Although Comcast offered little on branding or financials, it’s expected subs will pay a premium above and beyond generic DVR service. Motorola wasn’t mentioned in the announcement, but the vendor supplies nearly all of Comcast’s DVRs. Just last week, Comcast agreed to buy $1bln of Moto boxes and said it would create 2 joint ventures with the vendor to develop and license conditional access. Motorola’s Paul Alfieri called the TiVo a real boon as "anything that grows demands for DVR is a good thing." — As a pure software play, TiVo functionality, including its "WishList" feature, will begin to be offered to Comcast DVR subs mid-to-late ’06, primarily as a push from the head-end. — Rogers hinted the non-exclusive Comcast deal needn’t be TiVo’s only go-round with cable. "When you do a deal with the largest cable op it’s very helpful in opening up other doors in the industry," he told the AP. — Most analysts were giddy about TiVo’s prospects, although Janco Partners’ April Horace wasn’t. The Comcast deal could serve to bring a premature end to TiVo’s already strained relationship with partner DirecTV, Horace said. "Risks associated with unknowns with Comcast" left Janco "unsold." Shares of TiVo predictably skyrocketed, closing up whopping 75% (+$2.87) to end the day at $6.70.

The Daily

Subscribe
Friday–December 13

State of DEI: NAMIC, AIM Analyze Workforce Representation

At a time when investments in DEI efforts are being questioned, NAMIC is checking in to remind the industry of the tangible change these initiatives are making.

Read the Full Issue
The Skinny is delivered on Tuesday and focuses on the cable profession. You'll stay in the know on the headlines, topics and special issues you value most. Sign Up

Calendar

Apr 16
Cablefax 100 Awards Nominations Open November 13th, 2024.
Full Calendar

Jobs

Seeking an INDUSTRY JOB or hiring for one?
VIEW JOBS

In conjunction with our sister brand, Cynopsis, we are offering hiring managers a deep pool of media-savvy, skilled candidates at a range of experience levels and sectors. The result will be an even more robust industry job board, to help both employers and job seekers.

Contact Carley Ashley, [email protected], for more information about posting a job on the website and our Jobs newsletter, sent twice weekly to 85,000 media professionals.