TiVo: Changing the Face of Television

A year into the launch of TiVo – the “revolutionary new personal TV service that lets you watch what you want, when you want” John Tebona, VP of business development, was faced with important decisions about TiVo’s revenue model and strategic alliances. As television moved from a network-based model to interactive TV, he had to decide what role TiVo would play in the emerging industry landscape. Would TiVo be just a set-top box or would it live up to the vision of revolutionizing the television viewing experience? What revenue streams should it emphasize to capture most value? What strategic relationships must TiVo form in an environment where companies were cross-investing in multiple technologies across different industry segments? How could it expand its customer base and accelerate its revenues before competitors like Microsoft’s WebTV became the default standard?