TiVo launches ad search tool for viewers

TiVo launches ad search tool for viewers

To counter the advertiser hoopla over DVR users skipping commercials, TiVo launched Product Watch yesterday, a service that allows viewers to search for on-demand advertising content, the company reports. Consumers can create searches, select advertising content, and have it delivered to the Now Playing section of their TiVo service. Users can also create searches based on their favorite brands. TiVo says ads will range from one to 60 minutes and will come from more than 70 advertisers and 100 brands. According to the Wall Street Journal, TiVo will charge marketers only for viewers who download an ad, similar to the pay-per-click style of search engine ads. As if to punctuate the need for TiVo Product Watch, data released last week from Jupiter Research shows that 53% of DVR subscribers skip commercials. TiVo announced the Product Watch service late last year.