NBC in pact to use TiVo's viewership data: report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Electric Co (GE.N) unit NBC Universal has reached an agreement with TiVo Inc (TIVO.O) to become the first major broadcaster with the right to use the digital recorder company's research and interactive advertising products, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday in its online edition.

The agreement will give the TV concern's networks such as NBC, Telemundo and Bravo -- as well as its NBC owned-and-operated TV stations -- access to TiVo's ratings data, the Journal said.

The deal will be announced as early as Tuesday, the Journal added.

NBC Universal is also planning to use the deal to sell advertisers TiVo products such as interactive tags, which enable a company's name to be seen even if a viewer is zapping through an ad, the Journal said.

The deal will enable NBC to offer advertisers data on the results of campaigns that use interactive tags, according to the Journal.

NBC Universal told the Journal it plans to begin using the TiVo services January 1.

Representatives of TiVo could not immediately be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Justin Grant; Editing by Quentin Bryar)