Virgin Media doubles TiVo subscribers in Q4

Virgin Media (Nasdaq: VMED) said Wednesday that the number of subscribers using TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO) DVRs more than doubled during the fourth quarter to 435,000. The top UK cable operator saw net TiVo subscriber additions of 273,000 during the quarter.

The success Virgin has seen using TiVo's DVRs and program guide could help TiVo expand distribution with U.S. cable MSOs. The company has struck deals with several mid-sized cable operators and overbuilders, including RCN, Suddenlink Communications and Grande Communications.

TiVo also had agreements with Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) and Cox Communications that allow consumers that buy one of its TiVo Premiere DVRs through retail outlets to access cable video-on-demand programming. But no major U.S. MSO is positioning TiVo as the primary DVR offered to subscribers.

TiVo's legal team is also driving revenue to the company, reaching a settlement on a patent dispute with AT&T (NYSE: T) which will bring at least $215 million to TiVo, and a settlement with Dish Network (Nasdaq: DISH) which will see TiVo collect $500 million.

For more:
- see the earnings release

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