SANTA CLARA, Calif. and NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rovi Corporation (Nasdaq:ROVI), formerly Macrovision Solutions Corporation, and TNS Media Research today announced that they are collaborating on the development of advanced TV and set-top-box (STB) measurement solutions. The alliance joins Rovi's clickstream technology with the reporting capabilities of TNS Media Research to enable some of the richest measurement in the industry, including consumer viewing across live, recorded and on-demand TV programming, as well as consumers' use of interactive program guides (IPGs). Under the terms of the agreement, TNS Media Research will measure the performance of advertising in Rovi IPGs in participating cable systems. The two companies will also work together to provide guide and audience measurement solutions to cable systems and advertisers.
"The ability to gain granular insight into viewing behavior as a result of Return Path Data (RPD) from STBs is redefining the definition of audience measurement," said George Shababb, president, TNS Media Research North America. "It's no longer just about reach and ratings, but about gaining true insight into the habits of the audience. TNS Media Research has pioneered the use of RPD through its DIRECTView(tm) and Charter Los Angeles(tm) services, and we are looking forward to working with Rovi Corporation to develop new applications and services, including in the area of IPGs."
"As entertainment choices multiply, MSOs, programmers and advertisers need better tools to understand evolving consumer behavior and use that knowledge to further enhance the viewing experience," said Fred Amoroso, president and CEO, Rovi Corporation. "We also know that IPGs are integral to the TV viewing experience and have a profound influence on what people choose to watch. This collaboration between TNS Media Research, a global leader in media measurement, and Rovi, a leader in IPG technology, marks an important milestone in advancing the industry's understanding of IPG usage and TV viewing habits."
Based on internal estimates, Rovi IPG advertising technology is active in more than 50 million homes worldwide, including 25 million homes in North America, providing one of the most broadly deployed interactive TV ad platforms. IPGs provide advertisers with a loyal, highly engaged audience: 80% of Rovi households say they can't watch TV without the guide and 74% use the guide as soon as they turn on their TV.* After initiating the measurement campaign less than a year ago, Rovi has made excellent progress in enlisting MSOs to participate in guide user measurement, in five of the top media markets and a dozen total markets nationwide. Data is reported on an anonymous, aggregated basis that does not contain personally identifiable information.
TNS Media Research's expertise in media consumption measurement and the U.S. marketplace's needs is leading the development of new analytics tools that address the intricacies of the ever-changing digital TV landscape. TNS Media Research pioneered the development of new measurement metrics based on Return Path Data (RPD) from digital set-top boxes through initiatives with DIRECTV, Comcast Communications, and Charter Communications. The new collaboration with Rovi Corporation extends TNS Media Research's services beyond second-by-second TV audience behavior and addressable advertising to include the exciting field of IPGs.
* IPG Attitude and Usage Study, Lieberman, August 2007.
About TNS Media Research
TNS Media Research is the leader in providing digital TV audience and advertising measurement tools and intelligence derived from second-by-second return path data. With a proven track record in audience research services across 32 countries, TNS Media Research is at the forefront of technological developments in audience measurement in the media industry, working with broadcasters and advertisers, media agencies and industry committees.TNS Media Research is a Kantar Group company. For more information on TNS Media Research and DIRECTView, visit www.tns-mr.com.
The TNS Media Research logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6495
About Kantar Group and TNS
The Kantar Group is one of the world's largest research, insight and consultancy networks. By uniting the diverse talents of more than 20 specialist companies -- including TNS -- the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and actionable insights for the global business community. Its 26,500 employees work across 80 countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to offer clients business insights at each and every point of the consumer cycle. The group's services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. For further information, please visit www.kantargrouptns.com
About Rovi Corporation
Rovi Corporation is focused on revolutionizing the digital entertainment landscape by delivering solutions that enable consumers to intuitively connect to new entertainment from many sources and locations. The company also provides extensive entertainment discovery solutions for television, movies, music and photos to its customers in the consumer electronics, cable and satellite, entertainment and online distribution markets. These solutions, complemented by industry leading entertainment data, create the connections between people and technology, and enable them to discover and manage entertainment in an enjoyable form.
Rovi holds over 4,000 issued or pending patents and patent applications worldwide and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with numerous offices across the United States and around the world including Japan, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. More information about Rovi can be found at www.rovicorp.com.
The Rovi Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6482
Forward Looking Statements
All statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements that use the words "will" or "is expected to," or similar words that describe the Company's or its management's future plans, objectives, or goals, are "forward-looking statements" and are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results and/or from any future results or outcomes expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors are further addressed in the Company's most recent report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2009 and such other documents as are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time (available at www.sec.gov). The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release, except as required by law.