TiVo recently added The Gourmet Channel to their TiVoCast lineup. MediaWeek takes a closer look at the addition, which may be the vanguard of a new trend for TiVo and TiVoCast. TiVo is looking for more original content to differentiate their product, and at the same time an increasing number of magazines are creating original video content for their websites to compliment their traditional magazine content. Launching a dedicated TV channel is beyond the means of most of the magazines, but they can deliver their original content into homes via TiVoCast. This is how The Gourmet Channel came to be, showcasing original content created by and for Gourmet Magazine.
“We’re looking to bring more content to TiVo, and magazines are creating video in all these content areas,†said Tara Maitra, vp, general manager of content for TiVo. “It might not make sense for them to create a television show, but we can take their content and bring it to the TV. Now you’re on television without the economics of launching a cable channel.â€
Maitra declined to reveal which other magazines TiVo was talking to or a timeframe for adding titles, saying only, “We’re working as quickly as possible to bring on as many content partners as we can.â€
I think this is a fantastic idea. Even as a hardcore geek I’ve never really cared to watch podcasts and most other web content. Watching video on a 17″ laptop screen just isn’t as enjoyable as relaxing and watching it on my TV. When TiVo added TiVoCast I immediately started watching many of the channels, and now, with Web Video, I’m watching an ever increasing number of podcasts. I find a lot of this original content much more interesting than standard television content. The more original content TiVo can bring to their platform, the better, I say.
