Will We Ever See Relevant Text Ads On Television?

I know it would probably never work, but I got to thinking about whether we’ll ever see relevant content-type text advertising on TV.  I know it sounds absurd, but hear me out.

We’re already bombarded with text on the screen in almost every show we watch if you think about it.  From channel logos, schedules, and show titles being displayed at the bottom corners, to running tickers on news and finance channels, text is always displayed somewhere in most cases.  Why not use that prime space for advertising and allow for more programming and less commercial interruption.

When you think about it, the guide on most cable and satellite providers already incorporates some form of advertising in the form of banners, etc. that advertise upcoming programming or channels.  If you turn the guide into more of a “search engine-esque” type of interface, you could display the program guide on the left side of the screen and relevant hyperlinked text-ads on the right- just like Google.

By hyperlinking the text ads not only to channels and DVR settings, you could integrate television and the internet to provide a whole new way of advertising interaction with consumers.  People wouldn’t mind the advertising as much as annoying commercials because they would be relevant to what they’re watching and non-obtrusive.

Software could be introduced on set-top box receivers for cable and satellite providers that would constantly monitor the programming someone is watching and automatically serve relevant ads alongside or at the bottom of the screen.  They could be semi-transparent to not take away from the programming but visible enough for the consumer to take action is they want to.  Dish Network has already introduced new receivers at this year’s CES that use a mouse-like pointers instead of d-pads and numbers on the remote control.  What this means is that the user can move a mouse-pointer on screen to select programming, input channel numbers, etc.  This is perfect for text-based advertising on television.

It’s just a thought, but I think it has real merit if executed properly.  What do you think, would it work?  Would you rather see semi-visible text ads at the bottom of your screen rather than minutes of commercials interupting your favorite show?  I think it could work.