SANTA CLARA, Calif. and SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rovi Corporation (Nasdaq:ROVI) and Delivery Agent, the leader in multi-channel commerce for sports and entertainment, today jointly announced the first-ever contextual commerce capability within Rovi electronic program guides (EPGs) for television programming. With this capability, consumers will be able to buy products and services directly from their television program guides using their remote controls. Similar commerce capabilities are also planned to be available to consumers who access their electronic program guides through the web.

Powered by Delivery Agent's interactive commerce engine, including its TV Wallet™, and its proprietary database of products mapped to television content, the new shoppable guides are planned to roll out next quarter with initial campaigns slated for hit NBC shows such as Biggest Loser and The Office and A&E Television Network series such as Pawn Stars, which airs on HISTORY^®. 

In parallel with the launch of commerce capabilities that allow consumers interacting with the guide to purchase products seen in and associated with related television programming, Delivery Agent plans to work with Rovi to offer EPG display advertisers the opportunity to add commerce elements to their advertising programs, providing a turnkey solution that includes designing, hosting and managing a fully-branded commerce and transaction experience.

"The electronic program guide is often the first point of contact a viewer has with a program on any given day and guide users visit the guide on average 9 times daily. The ability to shop-enable our guide by dynamically mapping products to listings can open up new opportunities for media companies to reach a highly engaged and active consumer audience.  We believe that our valued advertisers, from entertainment to consumer packaged goods to auto manufacturers, will also benefit from the integration of Delivery Agent's extensive suite of commerce tools," said Jeff Siegel, senior vice president, worldwide advertising sales at Rovi Corporation.

"Delivery Agent's commerce platform, including its proprietary database of 1M+ products seen in entertainment content, was built to close the gap between a consumer seeing a product on screen and a purchase opportunity. Today, through the collaboration with Rovi, and the deployment of shoppable program guides, we believe three audiences are better served: 1) consumers now have easier access to purchase contextually relevant product; 2) entertainment companies can monetize their branded content through the sale of products within the program guide environments; and 3) advertisers can commerce enable their campaigns within the guide, giving consumers a more complete connection to their brand. Delivery Agent is thrilled to be a part of this evolution," said Mike Fitzsimmons, Delivery Agent CEO.

About Delivery Agent, Inc.

Delivery Agent, Inc., named #1 Privately Held Media Company by Inc. Magazine and #3 on the Deloitte & Touche Silicon Valley Technology Fast 50, is the leader in shopping-enabled programming and content monetization for more than 200 entertainment properties from major media companies including CBS, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, Discovery Communications, A&E Television Networks, HBO, Showtime, The CW, Univision Communications, and The Weinstein Company, as well as for sports organizations including FIFA, the Boston Celtics and UFC. Delivery Agent created the market for shopping-enabled programming by redefining how products tied to entertainment are cataloged, merchandised and sold online. With offices in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Denver and London, Delivery Agent deploys its technology platform, including commerce applications, video and mobile products, and interactive advertising solutions to create profitable connections between entertainment content, consumers and brands. More information about Delivery Agent is available at www.deliveryagent.com.

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About Rovi Corporation

Rovi Corporation is focused on revolutionizing the digital entertainment landscape by delivering solutions that enable consumers to intuitively connect to new entertainment from many sources and locations. The company also provides extensive entertainment discovery solutions for television, movies, music and photos to its customers in the consumer electronics, cable and satellite, entertainment and online distribution markets. These solutions, complemented by industry leading entertainment data, create the connections between people and technology, and enable them to discover and manage entertainment in an enjoyable form.

Rovi holds over 4,700 issued or pending patents worldwide and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with numerous offices across the United States and around the world including Japan, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. More information about Rovi can be found at http://www.rovicorp.com/.

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Forward Looking Statements

All statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements that use the words "will" or "is expected to," or similar words that describe the Company's or its management's future plans, objectives, or goals, are "forward-looking statements" and are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results and/or from any future results or outcomes expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors are further addressed in the Company's most recent report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2010 and such other documents as are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time (available at www.sec.gov). The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release, except as required by law.