Rovi Targets Ads for Internet-Connected TV Devices

Service aims to expand reach of advertising network

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/8/2010 12:00:00 PM

Rovi wants to extend the ads it sells for interactive program guides to broadband-connected video devices, promising to help consumer-electronics manufacturers make money off Internet TVs, set-top boxes, media players and game consoles.

Currently, the company is in discussions with several CE makers about the Rovi Advertising Service but does not have any deals to announce publicly, said Jim Theberge, director of product management of advanced advertising.

Shipments of Internet-enabled TVs, game consoles and set-tops are expected to skyrocket over the next several years, from 99.2 million in 2009 to more than 430 million in 2014, according to research firm iSuppli. But it's not clear how frequently consumers use the broadband features of such devices.

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