Seven Network has release the first sales figures for TiVo in Australia, and since they went on sale in July about 12,000 units have been sold, according to the Australian Financial Review. Seven is also believed to be negotiating further retail deals with Bing Lee, The Good Guys, Retravision, and Myer, in addition to their existing partners.
“Our aim was to double the size of the digital video recorder marker, which was about 50,000 in 2007,” Mr Warburton said. “We are on track to sell 25,000 by the end of December and are confident of reaching our 50,000 target.”
The 50,000 figure excludes DVRs sold by pay-television companies such as Foxtel, which has sold over 365,000 iQ & iQ2 DVRs since February 2005. Another pay-TV vendor, Austar United Communications reported 57,744 MyStar recorders sold by late October.
Seven says TiVo sales are running ahead of targets, due perhaps to their extensive marketing campaign. Seven spent an estimated AUD$3.5 million worth of airtime to promote TiVo during the Summer Olympics (which Seven Network aired). Since the Olympics their monthly marketing spend has been roughly AUD$200,000 between TV and print.
Overall it sounds like TiVo is doing fairly well down under.
