TiVo later this year will let its subscribers access Blockbuster’s Internet video-on-demand service through their digital video recorders, and the movie-rental chain will in turn sell TiVos in some 3,900 retail locations in the U.S.
The deal, which the companies announced Wednesday, comes after TiVo last fall signed a similar pact with Blockbuster’s chief rival, Netflix, that allows the DVR company’s customers who also subscribe to Netflix to access more than 12,000 titles on their TVs (see Netflix Gets TiVo’d).
TiVo also offers access to Amazon.com’s 40,000-video library, along with other broadband-delivered content.
“Joining with Blockbuster further distinguishes TiVo as a true universal solution for content providers, making it a one-stop-shop for any content [through] broadband or linear distribution straight to the TV,” TiVo president and CEO Tom Rogers said in a statement.
The companies expect to have the Blockbuster OnDemand service — which provides an unspecified number of movies titles for rental or purchase — integrated into TiVo DVRs in the second half of 2009. The service will be provided into TiVo Series2, Series3, TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL DVRs.
Also under the agreement, Blockbuster will sell TiVo DVRs at its retail stores nationwide, as well as online at Blockbuster.com. The companies also will implement a cross-marketing campaign.
“Ultimately, our vision is to work with TiVo so that their subscribers can access movies not only through our OnDemand service but also from our stores and through our by-mail service as well,” Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes said in a statement. “Regardless of a film’s availability - through VOD or on DVD - we want to work with TiVo to provide their subscribers unprecedented access to movie content.”
Blockbuster in November launched the Internet on-demand service, offering a set-top box manufactured by 2Wire plus 25 movie rentals for $99 (see Blockbuster Unwraps Internet Set-Top Box).
