A Big Eye on TiVo

Well, you can't argue that TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO) isn't becoming increasingly relevant these days. It has made yet another announcement that implies its increasing power in media, having said that CBS (NASDAQ:CBS) will debut one of the shows from its fall lineup on TiVo boxes before the show is available on network TV.

TiVo subscribers will be able to view The Class on Sept. 11, one week before it will air on CBS. TiVo users will also have access to the types of bonus features that people are used to with DVDs, like clips, exclusive footage, and information on three other new CBS shows (with the option to schedule the recording of those shows).

It may very well be a one-time deal, just an interesting experiment in whether TiVo's "time shifting" can reach a whole new dimension with a head start on everybody else, including folks with generic DVRs.

Investors who have been watching Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendation TiVo know that this is just the latest in some pretty impressive agreements it has been racking up. Consider TiVo's recent deal with Cox, as well as the positive implications from its legal skirmish with EchoStar (NASDAQ:DISH). TiVo also lined up a major client for its new research unit, which analyzes viewers' responses to TV advertising.

Of course, the other side of the story is just how much dancing traditional media companies have to do these days, as they find the business disrupted by the many options people have for the hours they spend consuming entertainment. The agreement CBS has with TiVo definitely brings to mind a similarly interesting recent move by General Electric's (NYSE:GE) NBC, which launched some shows on Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) before their network television premiere. (And CBS came up with a fairly outlandish way to drum up attention recently by advertising some new shows on eggs.)

TiVo is positioning itself as an important force in televised media -- right now, it looks like it's launching an all-out offensive, given the extraordinary number of strategic headlines that the company's been queuing up lately. On the other hand, the stock has also done a good bit of appreciating, thanks to all the good news and subsequent positive sentiment. Given the competitive landscape and the fact that TiVo still isn't profitable, the stock's still got a pretty speculative angle. However, there's no denying the fact that investors are enjoying a heck of a thrill ride from TiVo right now.

Catch up with the latest from TiVo:

• Rick Munarriz took a look at TiVo's recent earnings.
• The deal with Cox shows TiVo's no wallflower.
• TiVo ads it up some more with its research unit.

TiVo and Netflix are both Stock Advisor recommendations. To find out what other companies David and Tom Gardner have recommended to subscribers, click here for a 30-day free trial.

Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned.