• by Wayne Friedman , November 28, 2007

Looking to further extend its digital TV advertising platforms, NBC will sell interactive advertising placements on TiVo, the digital recording company.

NBC will sell TiVo's interactive tags to advertisers that allow viewers to click on an icon when watching a commercial. That allows them to obtain more information about that advertiser.

After the viewer gets that information, he can return to the program, at the exact point he exited. TiVo and NBC believe these tags are an effective way to reach time-shifting, fast-forwarding TV viewers. The hope is to get consumers to have a deeper engagement with the marketers.

These interactive ads will be sold by NBC's 14 television networks and its 10 owned-and-operated TV stations. NBC will also use TiVo "record tags" in its on-air promotions, which allow viewers to one-click recordings of NBC programming.

In addition, NBC, company-wide, will subscribe to TiVo's Stop||Watch, its second-by-second commercial ratings service.

NBC is in good company, as a number of its clients and media agencies --including Starcom USA--have made similar agreements with TiVo's Stop||Watch service.

Analysts warn that TV networks need to supplement traditional forms of TV ad selling with new digital platforms--especially in a DVR world when users are time-shifting programming and fast-forwarding through commercials. NBC feels that selling the TiVo interactive tags moves it in that direction.

In a statement, Mike Pilot, president, NBC Universal sales and marketing, said: "Our partnership with TiVo is another example of NBCU's continuing effort to improve the effectiveness of TV advertising for our clients, evolve the commercial form, and expand the value of our advertising inventory."