CBS Television & TiVo Make History With First-Ever Exclusive Debut of New Fall Show on TiVo Before Its Network Premiere
TiVo Subscribers to be First in Nation to Record New CBS Fall Show 'The
Class' Up to a Week Before Its Premiere & Receive Special Sneak Previews of
Highly Anticipated New Shows 'Jericho,' 'Smith' and 'Shark'
ALVISO, Calif. and NEW YORK, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CBS
Television today announced plans to make TV history by partnering with TiVo
Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO), the creator of and the leader in television services
for digital video recorders (DVR), to launch a new Fall show in an entirely
original way -- not via a network premiere, a DVD or the Internet, but on
the TiVo(R) service, which continues to revolutionize how America watches
television. Through this pioneering partnership, TiVo subscribers will be
the first in the nation to see the hot comedy CBS show "The Class" as early
as a full week before its premiere on live TV.
In this innovative launch developed jointly by TiVo and CBS, TiVo
subscribers will have an unparalleled opportunity to experience CBS fall
line-up exclusives. In addition to the opportunity to watch The Class up to
1 week before its network premiere on September 18th, TiVo subscribers will
be able to view sneak preview clips and receive exclusive footage and
information on three more of CBS's most eagerly anticipated new shows:
Jericho starring Skeet Ulrich and Gerald McRaney, Smith starring Ray Liotta
and Virginia Madsen, and Shark starring James Woods and Jeri Ryan. With
just one click of the remote, TiVo subscribers will be able to record the
premieres of all four shows. This will mark the first time that any group
of network shows have ever been bundled together and offered jointly for
the ultimate in viewer convenience. Following the premieres, subscribers
can utilize the popular Season Pass(TM) recordings feature which once set,
automatically records all shows viewers choose for an entire season without
them ever having to give a second thought to when they air.
Tom Rogers, TiVo's CEO said, "We're thrilled to be able to introduce
this ground-breaking innovation to the industry while at the same time
providing our subscribers with exclusives that no else can match. At the
core of this fresh and forward-thinking campaign is the television
industry's recognition of the tremendous influence that our 4.4 million
TiVo subscribers can generate as some of the smartest and savviest TV
viewers around."
"CBS's partnership with TiVo is a creative new way to use DVR
technology to help drive television network viewing," said George
Schweitzer, President of CBS Marketing Group. "Our goal is to introduce our
fresh new comedy The Class about a group of 20-somethings who met in the
3rd grade and whose lives become bound together to a broad, diversified,
receptive audience that has the ability to start trends and generate buzz,
which is exactly what TiVo offers."
This dynamic new partnership between TiVo and CBS was developed in
conjunction with Initiative Media as part of a broad agency-wide
relationship with the InterPublic Group of Companies launched in April
2006.
About CBS TV
CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company with
constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast
industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of
the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations,
combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which
provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves
audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets.
It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment,
including broadcast television (CBS and UPN), cable television (Showtime
and CSTV Networks), local television (CBS Television Stations), television
production and syndication (CBS Paramount Television and King World), radio
(CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing
(Simon & Schuster), digital media (CBS Digital Media Group and CSTV
Networks) and consumer products (CBS Consumer Products). In Fall 2006, UPN
will cease operations and The CW, a new fifth broadcast television network,
will launch as a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros.
Entertainment. For more information, log on to
http://www.cbscorporation.com .
About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo pioneered a brand new category of products with
the development of the first commercially available digital video recorder
(DVR). Sold through leading consumer electronic retailers, TiVo has
developed a brand which resonates boldly with consumers as providing a
superior television experience. Through agreements with leading satellite
and cable providers, TiVo also integrates its full set of DVR service
features into the set-top boxes of mass distributors. TiVo's DVR
functionality and ease of use, with such features as Season Pass(TM)
recordings and WishList(R) searches, has elevated its popularity among
consumers and has created a whole new way for viewers to watch television.
With a continued investment in its patented technologies, TiVo is
revolutionizing the way consumers watch and access home entertainment.
Rapidly becoming the focal point of the digital living room, TiVo's DVR is
at the center of experiencing new forms of content on the TV, such as
broadband delivered video, music and photos. With innovative features, such
as TiVoToGo(TM) transfers and online scheduling, TiVo is expanding the
notion of consumers experiencing "TiVo, TV your way.(R)" The TiVo(R)
service is also at the forefront of providing innovative marketing
solutions for the television industry, including a unique platform for
advertisers and audience measurement research. The company is based in
Alviso, Calif.
NOTE: TiVo, Season Pass, WishList, Series2, TiVoToGo, 'TiVo, TV your
way.' and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo
Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions.
SOURCE TiVo Inc.