NBC agrees to use TiVo ad services

NBC Universal has agreed to use ratings data and other advertising products from TiVo Inc., becoming the first major broadcaster to use the digital video recorder company’s advertising services.

Shares of TiVo rose 30 cents, or 5.4%, to $5.90 after the announcement of the deal, which will allow NBC to use the ratings data to better track how often audiences skip commercials.

The deal comes as TV executives are searching for detailed research on audience viewing patterns, in addition to the figures provided by Nielsen Media Research, as more Americans use digital video recorders.

“With proliferating media options and changing consumer behavior, our clients are asking for new ideas, better metrics and more accountability,” said Mike Pilot, president of NBC Universal Sales and Marketing.

The agreement with Alviso, Calif.-based TiVo covers NBC Universal’s 14 television networks -- including NBC, Telemundo and Bravo -- as well as its 10 NBC-owned TV stations. NBC Universal is a unit of General Electric Co.

Under the deal, advertisers who buy television commercials on those networks and television stations will have the option of adding an interactive component to those spots. They can insert TiVo “tags” into television commercials that let viewers click on an icon when watching an ad to obtain more information about a product.