TiVo to Offer Disney Movies On Demand

ALVISO,
May 28: TiVo has inked a deal to offer its subscribers on-demand movie rentals
from The Walt Disney Studios, and has partnered with the Chicago Tribune to bring the recommendations of the newspaper’s TV
critic, Maureen Ryan, directly to the television set.

Under
an agreement with Disney-ABC and digital entertainment provider CinemaNow, TiVo
subscribers can download the titles for a 24-hour rental period in standard
definition, with many also available in high definition. The service is
available to all broadband-connected TiVo Series2 and Series3 subscribers later
this year. Prices for the service were not disclosed.

TiVo
offers more than 30,000 titles through Amazon Unbox, Music Choice and more than
50 other content providers. The company recently announced that TiVo
subscribers will be able to access YouTube videos directly on the TV via the
TiVo DVR this summer.

"We
are very excited to be working with Disney and CinemaNow,” said Tara Maitra,
the VP and general manager of content services at TiVo. “Adding Disney movies
really delivers on TiVo's promise to offer the best television entertainment
experience with unlimited content choices that are easy to navigate across
broadcast, cable, and broadband using one device, one remote, and one user
interface.”

"TiVo has always
delivered a superior experience," added Dan Cohen, the executive VP of pay
television and interactive media at Disney-ABC Domestic Television. "We're
pleased that their subscribers will be able to enjoy our extensive catalogue of
new releases and classic library titles."

TiVo
has also teamed with the Chicago Tribune to deliver the recommendations of the newspaper's TV critic, Maureen
Ryan, directly to subscribers’ television sets while TiVo automatically records
the recommended shows listed in the newspaper's TV grids. In addition, TiVo
subscribers will be able to download recurring video commentaries recorded by
Ryan straight to their TV.

Tom
Rogers, TiVo’s CEO and president, commented: "This is another example of
how TiVo continues to weave itself into the fabric of the media industry and
helps solve strategic issues faced by traditional media companies. We applaud
the Tribune management for
their willingness to embrace TiVo's technology to help bring innovation to its
newspaper model. It is a pleasure to be working with the one of the nation's
leading newspapers on such a revolutionary new concept. We have essentially
used TiVo to build an interactive, technological bridge between television and
print—unlocking value for both mediums in the process."

—By Irene Lew