• Business 2.0, Friday, December 8, 2006 10:48 AM

TiVo is being linked to just about every major technology company these days. Steve Jobs' Apple Computer is the most recent. TechCrunch thinks the match would be ideal for both companies, as Apple tries to expand its media offerings. While iTunes sells a bunch of videos for Disney, the hardware maker has almost no leverage in the TV market.

The DVR maker struggled to grow after cable providers learned how to make and distribute DVRs cheaply. But Google may be an even better match for TiVo, since it organizes the world's TV experience. It helps consumers get the content they want efficiently, while documenting how its subscribers use the service for advertisers. Sounds a lot like Google, right?

Everything a consumer does with their TiVo is being recorded: Shows watched, ads skipped, ads watched repeatedly. If TiVo's viewer data were leveraged correctly, it may be worth billions. But who would want it? A company involved in video, whose revenues are based on a targeting technology that delivers advertising. TiVo's market value is $500 million; Google could scoop up the DVR pioneer for $1 billion and still walk away with a bargain.

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