Suddenlink Communications this week launched the TiVo Premiere DVR as an option for digital cable customers six markets: El Dorado, Mountain Home and Magnolia, Ark., Branson and Nixa, Mo., and Natchitoches, La.
Since late 2010, the MSO has launched TiVo DVR service in the following markets: Amarillo, Andrews, Big Spring, Bryan-College Station, Canyon, Floydada, Georgetown, Huntsville, Lubbock, Midland, Plainview and Tulia, Texas; Clovis, N.M., and Cabot, Ark.
Suddenlink said it plans to expand the availability of the device to additional markets this year.
TiVo Premiere, available through Suddenlink for $16 per month (the same as the operator's standard HD DVR), provides the trademark TiVo user interface, plus content from Suddenlink's video-on-demand library and the Web including YouTube videos, Blockbuster VOD and Pandora. The Suddenlink-provided TiVo does not allow access to Netflix streaming video.
TiVo has similar distribution deals with Charter Communications and RCN, among others. DirecTV also has been working on developing a TiVo-based set-top box.
Comcast had ported the TiVo software to Motorola set-tops, but the cable operator abandoned that project in May after more than six years of development. Instead, Comcast expects to make its VOD available to customers with TiVo DVRs in its footprint. Cox Communications, which also had planned to offer TiVo-based cable set-tops, has said it's moving to offer VOD through retail TiVo DVRs as well.
As of July 31, TiVo had 1.165 million "TiVo-owned customers" and 763,000 subscribers through pay-TV operator partners (1.928 million total). That's down from 1.366 million TiVo-owned and 1.018 million pay-TV subs in July 2010 (2.384 million). TiVo peaked in late 2006 with about 4.4 million total customers.
