Recommendation-based electronic program guides with user-imperceptible preferences

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enabling the operators of television broadcasting systems or other content distribution systems to effectively alter the program viewing patterns of viewers or subscribers to direct viewership traffic to selected television programs or other content. In a recommendation based EPG system, the rating or recommendation assigned to a program is increased or decreased in accordance with the desire of the operator to increase or decrease viewership or in exchange for monetary or other consideration from content providers, advertisers or others. In one aspect, a boost value is applied to alter the recommended rating/ranking of program content, including selectively in a manner which may be substantially imperceptible to viewers. In another aspect, a sponsored program is assigned a premium position in a list of programs in exchange for receipt of monetary or other consideration. In another aspect, the program may be given an ordinal boost, elevating the program by one or more positions in a rank-ordered list of recommendations. In still another aspect, premium positions in the list are auctioned, or greater consideration is collected for providing higher values of ordinal or numerical boost.