The word is that Tivo is working to close a deal with Google, Yahoo or both, that would allow Tivo customers to search for video on the web and download it to their televisions.
Another possibility being discussed is one of the two search giants outright buying Tivo.
Yahoo has a very good video search engine, and Google is building something unique now that it is accepting video submissions. Tivo would fit in well at Google, being an immensly popular service that fits in with their audience. However, Yahoo is making the big media play, so Tivo would work well for them as well. Plus, you may remember a few months ago the Google patent application that indicated the possibility of a TV-based search engine built on a closed captioning index. Google Video Search is one half of that, a Tivo deal would fulfill the other half.
From C|Net:
One scenario that’s been discussed would see TiVo partner with Google or Yahoo on a new service that would let consumers search for videos on the Web and then watch them on their television sets, according to one person with knowledge of the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A second person familiar with the talks said TiVo has held talks with both Google and Yahoo about a potential equity investment, including the possibility of an outright acquisition. Any deal would likely be exclusive, this source said, Nothing has been finalized, however, and the talks could yet fall apart.
They also make the point that Google and Yahoo are in such fierce competition, that even if they aren’t interested in this deal, they could be forced to bid in just to beat the other.
Keep in mind that this is all speculation. Apple, Sony and Comcast have all been rumored as interested in buying the company, and it is possible we may never find out if any of these rumors were true.
The market (and the media at large) have mostly ignored the rumors. Google is holding at a $0.81 gain on the day, while Yahoo is barely budging with a $0.21 uptick.
Also:
Search Engine Watch
Engadget
John Battelle
Hat-Tip: Nicholas
Nathan Weinberg writes the popular InsideGoogle blog, offering the latest news and insights about Google and search engines.
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