Targeted marketing overlays for digital video recorders

A method for modifying first marketing content stored within a computer-readable memory of a digital video recorder, the method comprising the steps of:

• a computer receiving, via a communications network, television programming comprising the first marketing content;
• the computer storing the television programming in the computer-readable memory;
• in response to the step of the computer storing the television programming, the computer sending a user identification and a program identification to a service provider;
• in response to the step of the computer sending the user identification and the program identification to the service provider, wherein the service provider determines a location of a user by referencing a user profile associated with the user identification and determines whether a second marketing content exists for the television programming based on the program identification and the user profile, the computer determining whether a message indicating that no second marketing content exists for the television programming has been received;
• in response to the step of the computer determining that the message indicating that no second marketing content exists for the television programming has been received, displaying the television programming with the first marketing content;
• in response to the step of the computer determining that the message indicating that no second marketing content exists for the television programming has not been received the computer receiving, from the service provider, the second marketing content that is associated with the program identification and with one of an address of a user, a zip code of the user, and a telephone number of the user;
• in response to the step of the computer receiving the second marketing content from the service provider, the computer determining whether the second marketing content is add-on marketing content;
• in response to the step of determining that the second marketing content is add-on marketing content, the computer inserting the add-on marketing content into the television programming per instructions in the add-on marketing content;
• and
• sending the television programming including the second marketing content to the computer-readable memory of the digital video recorder.

A computer system for modifying first marketing content stored within a computer-readable memory of a digital video recorder, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to receive, via a communications network, television programming comprising the first marketing content;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to store the television programming in the computer-readable memory of the digital video recorder;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to storing the television programming in the computer-readable memory of the digital video recorder to send a user identification and a program identification to a service provider, wherein the service provider determines whether a second marketing content exists for the television programming based on the program identification and a user profile associated with the user identification;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to determine whether a message indicating that no second marketing content exists for the television programming has been received;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to a determination that the message indicating that no second marketing content exists for the television programming has been received, to display the television programming with the first marketing content;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to sending the user identification and the program identification to the service provider, and the service provider determining the second marketing content exists and sending the second marketing content to the digital video recorder, to receive, from the service provider, the second marketing content associated with a location of a user and the program identification;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to modify the television programming with the second marketing content;
• and
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to a user request and after modifying the television programming with the second marketing content, to display the television programming.

A computer system for sending second marketing content to a digital video recorder, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to broadcast, from a service provider to the digital video recorder via a communications network, television programming comprising first marketing content;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to, after broadcasting the television programming, receive a user identification and a program identification from the digital video recorder;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer readable memories, to determine a location of a user by referencing a user profile associated with the user identification;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer readable memories, to determine whether the second marketing content exists for the television programming based on the program identification and the user profile;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer readable memories, responsive to determining that the second marketing content exists to send the second marketing content to the digital video recorder;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer readable memories, responsive to determining that the second marketing content does not exist, to send a message to the digital video recorder indicating that there is no second marketing content;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to determine whether a message indicating that no second marketing content exists for the television programming has been received;
• and
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to a determination that the message indicating that no second marketing content exists for the television programming has been received, to display the television programming with the first marketing content.