TiVo to sell data to advertisers

TiVo Inc., the pioneer of digital video recorders, said Thursday that it planned to start selling information about subscribers’ ages, incomes, ethnicity and viewing habits to advertisers.

TiVo, which allows users to record television programs and fast-forward through commercials, is offering the data to help advertisers target specific consumers. The company said 20,000 households volunteered for the program, called Power Watch.

People who own DVRs skip 60% to 65% of commercials, said Todd Juenger, vice president of research and measurement for Alviso, Calif.-based TiVo.

“The magic is what commercials are being watched and what’s different about those commercials,” Juenger said. “Every creative director in the country wants to know if his or her advertising campaign is being skipped.”

The company will pool viewer information that includes gender, marital status, the presence of children, location, how long they have been TiVo subscribers and how they receive their TV service. TiVo won’t collect data on any subscribers who don’t choose to participate, Juenger said.

Publicis Groupe’s Starcom USA, a media-buying firm, is the first company to participate in the service and will be able to ask a panel of TiVo users questions about the ads.