TiVo starting this summer will sell ratings data for programs and commercials airing in local U.S. markets, an extension of its national measurement service that monitors its DVR subscribers' viewing.
The company hasn't determined which specific markets will be first up, saying it will work with its charter customers to determine the sequence and timing of market rollouts.
TiVo said the StopWatch Local Markets service will provide sample sizes ranging from 25,000 TiVo subscribers in the top 20 markets down to 5,000 in the smallest local markets. According to TiVo, Nielsen ratings for even the biggest local markets rely on less than 1,000 households.
The service, like the national StopWatch ratings, will measure live and time-shifted DVR viewing behavior and commercial fast-forwarding. TiVo's announcement is timed for the NAB Show in Las Vegas this week.
