Rovi struck licensing agreements with two midsize cable operators, Buckeye CableSystem and Blue Ridge Communications, under which both will deploy TotalGuide xD apps for navigating content on tablets and smartphones and Buckeye will also roll out the TotalGuide for Set-Tops IPG.
By the end of the year, Rovi expects to have deals for the TotalGuide family of guide products with service providers representing about 10 million subscribers. However, according to chief financial officer James Budge, the TotalGuide product line will not contribute "meaningful revenue" until late 2012 or early 2013.
Other customers deploying TotalGuide for set-top boxes and TotalGuide xD for smartphones and tablets include Armstrong Communications and BendBroadband. Rovi also announced wins with Charter Communications, Suddenlink Communications and Cogeco in Canada.
Buckeye, a service provider serving Northwest Ohio and parts of Southeast Michigan, will deploy TotalGuide on existing set-top boxes to offer customers advanced search and recommendation capabilities. In addition, Rovi and Buckeye have signed multiyear renewal agreements for Rovi i-Guide as well as the vendor's remote DVR scheduling and ETV/EBIF solution.
Both Buckeye and Blue Ridge, based in Palmerton, Pa., will use Rovi's companion white-label TotalGuide xD application, which lets subscribers use IP-enabled mobile devices to schedule DVR recordings, tune linear channels, start a VOD session, and -- once available -- watch authenticated TV shows and movies.
"We are constantly looking for innovative ways to drive subscriber value and enjoyment," Buckeye president and general manager Brad Mefferd said in a statement. "Collaborating with Rovi helps Buckeye enrich the entertainment experience on existing set top boxes, as well as extend our brand and service reach with new future-proof capabilities that will enable consumers to discover and control TV entertainment on the multiple screens they own."
