Rovi Corp, a provider of digital television guides, said on Friday it would buy video recorder pioneer TiVo Inc in a $1.1 billion deal that brings together two video software players with deep patent portfolios.
The combined company, which will add Tivo’s 10 million customers to Rovi‘s 18 million customers, will be led by Rovi Chief Executive Tom Carson, who said he first thought about a potential merger between the two companies when he took over as CEO four years ago.