Symantec becomes the first ‘Interactive Sponsor’ of TiVoCast content, with a move that will see them utilize Interactive Tags and Program Placement to promote their Norton product line during CNET’s TiVoCast program. This will work just as it has been used during normal recordings, with ‘Press Thumbs Up For More Info’ Interactive Tags during the program which will take the user to Norton promotional content, and return the user to the same location in the program after they’ve viewed the content. As well as a promotional link in the Keep/Delete screen at the end of the program, via Program Placement.

TiVo issued a press release touting the new partnership:

TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO), the creator and a leader in advertising solutions and television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), announced today that Symantec, the maker of Norton security software, has signed on as the first advertiser to sponsor Interactive Advertising during CNET’s TiVoCast program. As a sponsor, Symantec will utilize TiVo’s Interactive Tags and Program Placements for the Norton product line within CNET’s popular weekly 15-minute TiVoCast program, which provides viewers with the latest news and reviews in technology and consumer electronics.

See the full release for more details.

ContentAgenda reports that DVR penetration will increase from 19% of TV households in 2007 to 35% by 2012, a net gain of 20 million DVRs, according to a new JupiterResearch report. The focus is, unsurprisingly, on the impact to advertising as more households switch to DVRs. They claim that active users, 60% of DVR owners, skip more commercials, and new types of advertising will be required. That’s what TiVo has been saying for quite a while now. In fact, some of these recommendations are exactly what TiVo pitches to advertisers:

Rather than fighting the behavior, advertisers and networks should embrace the DVR as a unique platform with its own advantages, Greene says.

DVRs, for example, offer more user interactivity with TVs. Advertisers also should be willing to experiment with different ad formats, such as overlay ads similar to those adopted by YouTube, to take advantage of interactivity and reduce the ability to skip ads.

“Product placement also offers a practical alternative to traditional ads. However, advertisers must carefully integrate their products into programs and ensure that product placement is logical and does not alienate consumers,” the report says.

The market shift is inevitable. It is time to evolve or die.

From TiVo’s press release:

TiVo Inc.(NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in advertising solutions and television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced that it has signed Carat to a comprehensive audience research agreement. Carat, one of the largest media buying shops and among the fastest growing marketing communications groups worldwide, will utilize TiVo’s unique research services to help its clients better understand the most urgent issue facing advertisers today – the impact of DVRs on viewing behavior and especially fast-forwarding of commercials. In addition to access to DVR viewing behavior, TiVo and Carat will also work together to educate Carat clients on ways to reach the fast forwarding viewer, leveraging TiVo ad solutions.

You can tell TiVo’s financial call is this afternoon - they’ve made new announcements yesterday and today. The subscription gives Carat access to both Stop||Watch and Power||Watch programs. DVR utilization is going nowhere but up and advertisers are getting serious about addressing that market. They have to evolve or die, and that’s good news for TiVo as they’re a leader in this space.

Broadcast Newsroom has a new article on TiVo’s software development efforts for Comcast, which shed some light on the lengthy development process.

“The idea was” if you could somehow take a generic [set-top] box and download the TiVo software over the wire, if you could order it from your cable company like HBO” it would be an incredible product,” [TiVo CEO Tom] Rogers said.

However, according to Rogers, the development was “much easier said than done.”

“It was an enormous piece of rocket science to work with hardware, chips we don’t control,” he said.

There is something interesting in the article from a revenue standpoint as well:

TiVo hopes that through the cable partners it can drive additional interactive advertising revenue. As part of the deal with Comcast, Rogers said, “in every TiVo home, we have the right to sell the interactive overlay on every commercial, on every network” That’s an incredibly powerful franchise we can develop… so we can look to diversify our business model.”

Check out the full article for more.

TiVo dropped a press release about the Power||Watch service I posted about earlier today.

Media planning and buying company Starcom USA and TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in advertising solutions and television services for DVRs, today announced Starcom is the first media agency to partner with the firm on Power||Watch™ Consumer Panel — a new offering from TiVo which provides advertisers access to demographic and viewing behavior data for 20,000 households who volunteer to take part in a consumer panel.

“With 20,000 households, the Power||Watch Consumer Panel will provide a new level of detail on DVR viewing behavior among any given brand’s target segments that will significantly enhance the approach advertisers take in creating and buying advertising on television,” said Todd Juenger, Vice President & General Manager, Audience Research & Measurement, TiVo.

There is more in the full press release.