Patent ID: 6671879
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
In a subscriber television system that provides a plurality of pay-per-view services, a method for displaying a video associated with a pay-per-view advertising service during the display time of a pay-per-view event, to a subscriber that has not purchased the pay-per-view event, the method comprising the steps of:establishing a pay-per-view subscriber channel in the subscriber television system for providing the plurality of pay-per-view services, wherein the plurality of pay-per-view services includes the pay-per-view event, the pay-per-view advertising service with the associated video, and a pay-per-view purchase application associated with the pay-per-view event; displaying the advertising pay-per-view service on the pay-per-view subscriber channel; displaying a pay-per-view purchase application on the pay-per-view subscriber channel, whereby the displayed pay-per-view purchase application allows the subscriber to purchase the pay-per-view event; and in response to the subscriber purchasing the pay-per-view event, displaying the pay-per-view event on the pay-per-view subscriber channel; otherwise displaying the advertising pay-per-view service with associated video on the pay-per-view subscriber channel during the pay-per-view event; wherein the advertising pay-per-view service is a plurality of advertisements including a first advertisement associated with a first pay-per-view event, a second advertisement associated with a second pay-per-view event, and a third advertisement associated with the pay-per-view subscriber channel, and displaying the first advertisement before and for a short period of time after starting to display the first pay-per-view event displaying the second advertisement before the end of the first pay-per-view event, and displaying the third advertisement from the end of the first advertisement until the start of the second advertisement.