∞ Tivo may be a target for takeover

Written by

Tara Lachapelle writing for BusinessWeek:

Potential buyers for TiVo include Microsoft (MSFT) and Google. Microsoft has wanted to offer a set-top box and have a presence in television systems through cable operators, says Tony Wible of Janney Montgomery Scott, who estimates a takeover price of $17 a share. TiVo’s television search capability would appeal to Google as it tries to gain a foothold in living rooms with Google TV, which lets users search online video and other content on their TV screens. It also would complement the company’s acquisition last month of SageTV, a DVR software maker to be integrated with Google TV, Harding says.

People have been saying for years that it would be nice to see Apple buy Tivo, but they just don’t seem to be beyond that “hobby” stage with television yet.

The sad part about Microsoft or Google buying Tivo is that they would offer more of the same.


  • Peter Cohen

    As long as RIM isn’t involved… ;)

    • http://twitter.com/Moeskido Moeskido

      Lazaridis, angrily shaking a Playbook with Tivo at interviewers: “There! Happy now?! …What?”

  • http://www.theuniversalsteve.com Anonymous

    I was an early TiVo adopter and really loved it. I did a little bit of hacking on it and installed larger hard drives. But then they got to this point where they were more interested in working with advertisers than with improving the consumer experience. A couple years ago the hard drive died. Instead of putting in a new one, I cancelled my satellite service and tossed the TiVo. I haven’t missed it at all.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RJTSS46E3FYIMXDAP72MXOWSKE Yapo

      What do you mean, you haven’t missed it at all? Are you talking about TV in general or TiVo?
      If you are still watching TV, and don’t have a TiVo or at least some sort of DVR (TiVo still the best of them) then you are probably brain-dead.
      I cannot possibly watch TV without the ability to skip past commercials. Just not possible. (this is because I am not brain-dead)

      • http://www.theuniversalsteve.com Anonymous

        I meant I don’t miss TV (that was the part about canceling satellite service). Not being brain-dead I completely agree with you about commercials. There was no way I could watch TV if I couldn’t skip commercials. Back when I followed baseball my favorite way to watch a game was to wait for an hour after it started and then start watching it on TiVo. After about two hours I would be caught up with real time just as the game was ending.

        Now, for what little TV id do watch, I use Netflix (DVDs and streaming on the Apple TV), DVDs that I own, and occasionally courses from iTunes U.

  • C High

    Think it’d be merged in with their UltimateTV line? I’d prefer to think it wouldn’t. I wasn’t a fan.