Instead of ‘Tivo gives me TV, my way,” redefine it. TV distribution maybe isn’t the game they should play. People are willing to pay a premium for services that make their lives simpler. So, “Tivo gives me any type of content, my way”.

I’ve always thought Tivo’s greatest asset should be its granular understanding of what viewers are actually interested in — all that data about the shows we Season Pass, what actually gets watched, when, in what fashion. Instead of using this as occasional PR schtick — e.g. the most clickable moment of the Super Bowl — bake it into a truly differentiated offering that no cable outfit or telco could innovate. Nuance is simply not their strong suit.

So, says my Tivo, I see you like baseball. Did you know that Tulane is offering a three-game package deal against three ranked teams in the next few weeks? Click here to view open seats and grab your tickets.

Did you know that there is a vintage APBA game listed on Ebay now?

That there are fantasy baseball leagues who need managers in your area?

That they’re showing Ken Burns’ baseball documonumentary at the Museum of Art, and he’s giving a talk?

That Orbitz has special deals on opening day trips to Wrigley?

Seen this baseball blog?

Want to see snapshots of Spring Training?

Naturally, the suggestions that have already been made — aggregating content a la Akimbo, etc. That’s fine. But it’s not about mere aggregation. It’s the intelligent recommendation filters that would matter. Let users suggest things — a la itunes mix, or SMEs, a la itunes essentials.

Etc. You get the drift. Amazon realized it wasn’t in the book business but in the online product recommendations & ordering business. One hopes that Tivo could do the same.

The key is to leverage your understanding of my likes & dislikes in order to truly make use of all that content that could flow in over open channels.

boberkirch, you’re right on the money.