Tivo and Amazon Strike Interesting Deal

The folks at Tivo seem to be breaking new ground again. With the Amazon Unbox, you can download movies (for rent or purchase) online and have them sent right into your Tivo box over your home network. This is a beautiful alignment with their brand positioning, which positions Tivo as TV on your schedule.

Ok, obvious limitations here. You've got to have a new Tivo, you've got to have a home network, you've got to spring for the service.

But it is cool. And it's convenient. And it takes a step out of the process of renting/buying/watching movies. So this is new ground.

And from a marketing perspective, it's further truth that the power is switching away from the marketer, away from the channel and to the consumer. That's impacting all of us at different rates, but it is a seismic shift. It's a nice idea for Amazon, too.