TiVo in Over-the-Top Video Deal with Social Media Marketing Company, Sway

Social media marketing company, Sway, said Monday that it has signed an agreement with TiVo that will see sponsored content from its Shoutlet "Web 2.0 marketing platform" distributed over-the-top to TiVo subscribers. Sway bills Shoutlet as an Internet platform that combines services such as email, podcasts, RSS, mobile messaging and video syndication into a single solution that marketing professionals can use to create, distribute and track social media marketing campaigns. According to the company, Cannondale Bicycles, Fiskars, Habitat for Humanity, Tesla Motors and Kmart are among the first Shoutlet customers to distribute their content directly to TiVo DVR's as a result of the new agreement.

According to Sway, the agreement provides Shoutlet customers with a simple, efficient way to syndicate sponsored video podcasts to TiVo subscribers. Customers can upload their sponsored content to the Internet platform, the company says, where it is then placed in multiple Shoutlet distribution channels, such as Automotive, Comedy, Fitness, Food and Drink, How-To, Kids and Family, Lifestyle, Music, News, Tech, and TV Shows and Extras. Automatic distribution to TiVo DVR's through Shoutlet is followed, the company says, by reporting about how the content is performing among TiVo viewers, based on anonymous data. "This relationship is yet another example of TiVo's ability to offer advertisers a direct, targeted path to the living room, complete with measurable results," Tara Maitra, TiVo's general manager and VP of content services and advertising sales, said in a prepared statement. "TiVo is revolutionizing the way consumers watch television, and working with partners such as Sway builds our suite of advertising solutions in the DVR world." Added Sway CEO, Jason Weaver: "This relationship provides an extremely efficient and effective way for marketers to get their message directly in front of their audiences, with measurable results--an important feature, given tough economic times and increased financial accountability in the advertising community. We are bringing relevant, engaging advertising content to TiVo subscribers and creating a new revenue stream for TiVo."