TiVo Increases Rebate, Begins Contests

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

September 6, 2005, 11:27 AM

TiVo on Tuesday launched its latest promotion aimed at enticing new users to the service, offering its 40-hour digital video recorder for $49.99 after a $150 mail in rebate.

The company also announced two contests, one to search for a TiVo evangelist to spread the word about the product, and another that would enter current subscribers who refer new customers to the service into a weekly drawing for $1,000.

TiVo CEO Tom Rogers said in August that the company's immediate goal was to drive new subscribers to the service. While the company had attained profitability in the third quarter, Rogers said TiVo would sacrifice profits to gain more customers, at least in the short term.

One lucky TiVo subscriber will become the nationwide evangelist for a year and receive $25,000 and a TiVo branded Mini Cooper. The winner would also have the opportunity to participate in various promotional activities. The contest will start on November 27 and run through the end of the year.

To be eligible, entrants must have earned 25,000 points through the company's reward system and also submit a video, essay and recommendation from a friend.

Those who may not be eligible for the first contest can still joint the "Passion Pays Off" sweepstakes, where TiVo will award $1,000 a week to a random subscriber who has referred a friend. The contest will run September 8 through the end of the year.

"Every day I run into subscribers who tell me, 'You wouldn't believe how many TiVo boxes I've sold.' Now we're giving them a chance to prove it," Rogers said in a statement. "I want to find the most passionate, most enthusiastic TiVo evangelist to help further the TiVolution."