News
Comcast Wants You to Watch Commercials
By Swanni
Washington, D.C.
(May 15, 2012)
-- Comcast has filed for a patent for a new technology that
would force viewers to watch ads even when they try to skip them
on their Digital Video Recorders.
That's according to an article by FierceCable.
The cable operator's move is in sharp contrast to Dish Network's
new Auto Hop DVR feature that allows viewers to watch recorded
shows on the four major broadcast networks without ever seeing a
commercial. Network executives blasted Dish's new feature
yesterday, but the satcaster said it wants to "champion" the
interests of subscribers, not advertisers or networks.
Comcast, of course, has subscribers, too -- more than 22 million
of them, in fact -- but the company now also owns NBC which
needs advertising revenue to exist. According to FierceCable,
Comcast's new technology would force viewers to see an alternate
ad when they hit the Fast Forward button to skip a commercial.
The ad would be partially visible.
FierceCable writes that Comcast is also pursuing a strategy that
would target alternative ads to subscribers based on viewing
habits and demographics. ______________________________________________________________________________
