BSkyB And TiVo Strategic Alliance To Offer United Kingdom's First Personal Video Recorders

British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC and TiVo, Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of the TiVo Personal TVô Service, have announced an alliance that marks the introduction of personal television in the United Kingdom. State-of-the-art personal video recorders similar in size and shape to VCRs and digital set-top boxes will deliver the personal television service which will be co-branded by TiVo and Sky. The product and service are expected to be available in retail outlets this fall 2000. Personal television is a revolutionary development that will forever change the way Britons view TV by giving them complete control over what they watch. The TiVo Personal TV Service delivered in conjunction with Sky, will allow viewers to shift the schedules for their favorite television shows and create a customized television line-up for viewing at anytime. Viewers can also teach the device what shows they like and dislike. Using these preferences, it will automatically record programs the viewer may want to see, in effect making peak-time television available anytime - day or night, for the convenience of the viewer. Consumers will also be able to pause, rewind, instantly replay and play back in slow motion any live television broadcast. In addition to the easy recording functionality that Sky and TiVo will provide with this new product and service, viewers will receive UK versions of exclusive TiVo Service offerings. These will include Network Showcasesô, a collection of themed programming that offers information on upcoming and seasonal shows across a range of channels, as well as an interactive guide to the best programs on television, allowing viewers to easily select programs for future recording. ""Our customers in the U.S. have become very passionate about TiVo, not just because it is fun and easy-to-use, but because it drastically improves the way they watch TV,"" said Mike Ramsay, President and CEO of TiVo. ""Through this partnership between TiVo and Sky, we will be able to deliver the superior entertainment experience we have pioneered in the U.S. to customers in the UK. Because of its dominance of the UK digital television market, Sky is our natural partner for the launch of yet another revolution in home entertainment."" ""Sky and TiVo's new personal television service with the personal video recorder will dramatically enhance the TV viewing experience for all consumers in the UK,"" said Tony Ball, Chief Executive of Sky. ""Our exclusive alliance with TiVo is a natural fit for Sky. It underlines Sky's determination to remain at the forefront of the broadcasting revolution."" Just like VCRs and DVD players, the personal video recorder will work alongside all televisions in the UK. However, the new product especially complements Sky digital. The control offered by the TiVo personal television service, combined with the widest choice of quality programming available on Sky digital, will make the viewing experience truly complete. The agreement between the two companies will result in the co-branding, co-marketing and sale of the personal video recorders in the UK. Leading consumer electronics companies are expected to manufacture the devices. Pricing and distribution will be detailed in due course. Personal video recorders with the TiVo Service have captured the public's imagination over the course of the past year in the United States. The expansion into the UK marks TiVo's first venture outside its home market.About TiVoTiVo is the creator of the TiVo Personal TV Service, which lets consumers take control of their television viewing by allowing them to watch what they want, when they want it. As part of TiVo's easy-to-use service and unique technology, viewers can time-shift their favorite television shows and create a customized television line-up for viewing at anytime. With TiVo's Thumbs Upô Thumbs Downô buttons, viewers can teach TiVo what shows they like and dislike. Using these preferences, TiVo automatically records programs the viewer may want to see. TiVo also enables consumers to pause, rewind, instantly replay and playback in slow motion any live television broadcast. In addition, TiVo has developed in the United States a technology that serves as a platform for new and interactive entertainment content and services. To ensure viewer privacy, TiVo has established strict policies to help protect the personal information of consumers, while providing a valuable personalized TV experience. TiVo-enabled stand-alone personal video recorders are widely available for purchase in the US. Founded in August 1997 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, TiVo is a creator of personal television. TiVo can be reached on the World Wide Web at http://www.tivo.com.About BSkyBSince its launch in 1989, British Sky Broadcasting has transformed the viewing experience for households throughout the UK and Ireland, where Sky is the leading provider of sports, movies, entertainment and news programming. Sky's channels now boast the largest subscriber base across all distribution platforms - there are 8.4 million subscribers to its services, 7.8 million in the UK and the remaining 0.6 million in Eire. Britain's first digital television platform, Sky digital, was launched on October 1, 1998 and is undergoing the largest growth of any digital platform worldwide with more than 2.6 million sales to date. Sky digital has offered real interactivity through the television for the first time, including interactive sports coverage through the Sky Sports Extra channel, and home shopping, banking and e-mail via its partner company Open . . . Sky can be reached on the World Wide Web at http://www.sky.com/corporate. Source: TiVo, Inc.