Method and system for obtaining viewing data and providing content recommendations at a set top box

A user device comprising:

• a viewer tracking module that tracks viewer events to form a viewer tracking log;
• and,
• a recommendation module that determines a timeslot and generates a timeslot viewing profile for the timeslot based on the viewer tracking log, the timeslot viewing profile including television programs watched previously at the user device during the timeslot, said timeslot viewing profile comprises a timeslot series profile determined by obtaining a watched program event having a count associated therewith and sums the count of a plurality of watched program events for a same program series and wherein the timeslot series profile comprises a program series prioritized according to count;
• said recommendation module compares the television programs of the timeslot viewing profile with television programs that are available during the timeslot, generates a first content recommendation list comprising television programs that are available during the timeslot and that are included in the timeslot viewing profile of the timeslot, receives related content identifiers for related content from external to the user device, the content identifiers for related content identifying content that is available during the timeslot and that is related to the television programs of the first content recommendation list based on at least one of content from a related channel group not in the first content recommendation list, a related television series group not in the first content recommendation list, or an editorial list for the timeslot not in the first content recommendation list, and, based on the content identifiers for related content, generates a second content recommendation list comprising content that is available during the timeslot and that is different from the first content recommendation list.

A method comprising:

• determining a timeslot;
• tracking viewer events within a user device to form a viewer tracking log;
• generating a timeslot viewing profile for the timeslot based on the viewer tracking log, the timeslot viewing profile including television programs watched previously at the user device during the timeslot, said timeslot viewing profile comprises a timeslot series profile determined by obtaining a watched program event having a count associated therewith and summing the count of a plurality of watched program events for a same program series and wherein generating a timeslot series profile comprises generating a timeslot series profile having a plurality of program series prioritized according to count;
• comparing the television programs of the timeslot viewing profile with television programs that are available during the timeslot;
• generating a first content recommendation list comprising television programs that are available during the timeslot and that are included in the timeslot viewing profile of the timeslot;
• communicating content identifiers for related content to the user device from external to the user device in metadata associated with content in the first recommendations list, the content identifiers for related content identifying content that is available during the timeslot and that is related to the television programs of the first content recommendation and are based on at least one of content from a related channel group not in the first content recommendation list, a related television series group not in the first content recommendation list, or an editorial list for the timeslot not in the first content recommendation list;
• and
• based on the content identifiers for related content, generating a second content recommendation list comprising content that is available during the timeslot and that is different from the first content recommendation list.