TiVo launches Agent TiVo for AI entertainment discovery

TiVo has launched Agent TiVo, a conversational artificial intelligence product for entertainment discovery aimed at operators and entertainment platforms across television and streaming.

The product lets viewers search for programmes and films by speaking or typing in natural language instead of relying on standard keyword searches. Users can ask questions, refine results through follow-up prompts and move from discovery to playback within the same interaction.

Agent TiVo is designed for entertainment use cases rather than general consumer queries. Viewers can search by mood, genre, actor, quote, episode, sports team, source and availability, with recommendations shaped by their interests and viewing habits as the conversation develops.

The launch comes as media groups and platform operators look for ways to simplify content discovery across fragmented catalogues spread across broadcast television and multiple streaming services. Search and recommendation tools have become a battleground as viewers face a growing number of services and titles.

TiVo said the system combines large language models with its existing voice technology in what it described as a hybrid architecture. The approach routes queries to different models depending on the task, in an effort to reduce response delays and control the cost of relying solely on large language models.

For operators and platform owners, the pitch centres on adding conversational search without overhauling existing systems. Agent TiVo can be added to current TiVo deployments and offered under the branding of individual operators, allowing them to retain control over how content is presented to users.

Kevin Lenhart, General Manager of Pay TV at Xperi, linked the launch to the growing complexity of finding something to watch.

"Entertainment choices have expanded dramatically, making content discovery increasingly complex for viewers," said Kevin Lenhart, General Manager of Pay TV at Xperi. "Agent TiVo combines conversational AI with TiVo's proven voice, discovery and personalisation expertise to deliver an experience built specifically for entertainment. The result is a faster, more personalised experience that helps viewers spend less time searching and more time watching, while giving operators and entertainment platforms a powerful new way to deepen engagement."

Market shift

The announcement highlights how established television technology suppliers are adapting generative artificial intelligence tools for consumer media interfaces. Rather than offering standalone chat services, companies in the sector are increasingly building these systems into search, recommendation and navigation layers that sit across linear television and streaming catalogues.

TiVo is part of Xperi, which develops technology for entertainment, media and connected devices. The subsidiary is best known for content discovery and television user interface products used across pay TV platforms, connected TVs, streaming services and consumer electronics.

Agent TiVo also reflects broader concern among operators about the cost and governance of artificial intelligence features. TiVo said its model-routing structure is intended to help platform owners introduce conversational tools while keeping tighter control over cost, latency and brand presentation.

The company is positioning the product as both a consumer-facing search tool and an operational offering for distributors that want AI features without managing a fully large-language-model-based system themselves. The product is offered with per-user pricing, with TiVo handling the underlying AI complexity.

One example the company gave was a viewer asking for something suitable for family viewing, then narrowing the options through additional prompts. TiVo said the system can return suggestions and explain why those choices have been recommended, with the aim of helping viewers make decisions more quickly.

As competition for viewing time intensifies, tools that reduce search friction are likely to draw attention from operators trying to keep audiences engaged within their own interfaces rather than losing them to rival apps or devices. TiVo said Agent TiVo gives operators and entertainment platforms a new way to shape that experience while maintaining control over their brands, content presentation and platform evolution.