TiVo Injects Ads During Paused TV

The commercial-skipping device will now slide targeted advertisements onscreen when users pause live or timeshifted TV programs.

TiVo may help TV viewers escape traditional commercials, but advertisers are increasingly being offered clever new ways to worm their messages in on timeshifting consumers. On Tuesday, TiVo announced that it would begin displaying ads when users pause their TVs.

The feature, which the company is pitching to advertisers as “Pause Menu” advertising, will display a single line of text, along with a link to TiVo’s Swivel Search feature, when live or timeshifted programs have been paused.

TiVo bills it as a way for advertisers to reach DVR users who are traditionally very resistant to commercials. “With the number of DVR homes on the rise, TV advertisers are facing a very serious commercial avoidance issue that must be addressed now,” said the company’s vice president of marketing and product management, David Sandford, in a statement. According to Sanford, the ads are actually well-received by consumers because they are less intrusive than traditional commercials.

The advertising will kick in for TiVo Series2 subscribers immediately, with advertisements from Mercedes-Benz and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment being among the first featured.