A report released by Integrated Media Measurement Inc. said of the TiVo subscribers who go to TiVo's special "Showcase" area, 42% went on to watch the show. IMMI tracked promos for shows on ABC, NBC and CBS during the six-week period leading up to the fall television premieres.
IMMI can determine viewership because it provides its research panel members with special mobile phones, which are carried everywhere. The mobile phone can determine an audio signal--from television, radio, and movies--and relay that information back to IMMI to determine the size of audiences.
TiVo's Showcase has been a longtime promotional vehicle of the digital video recorder company, where advertisers use long-form advertising, anywhere from two to four minutes in length.
Early in its history, Showcase was used by a number of entertainment advertisers. Recently, it has been expanding into doing deals with more general TV advertisers. Last year, it made a media agency-wide deal with GroupM's agencies, MediaCom, Mediaedge:cia, and Mindshare. TiVo has also been encouraging its subscribers to use the Showcase area.
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Last December, it signed up General Motors, MasterCard Worldwide and Burger King, The Weather Channel and Court TV in a special promotion. Once TiVo viewers have completed screening a recorded program, a screen asks them whether they want to watch the TiVo Showcase or other special long-form promotional videos.