Method and system for positioning row advertising in a program guide

Abstract

A method of arranging row ads system within a program guide includes communicating row ad metadata to a user device and communicating program guide information to a user device. The program guide information defines a plurality of rows, wherein at least a first row is associated with a first channel. The method includes associating positioning information with the row ad relative to the first row, populating a second row from the plurality of rows in response to the metadata and displaying the row ad and displaying the first row associated with the first channel within a program guide structure on a display associated with the user device in response to the positioning information.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 designating a channel as a row ad anchor associated with a first row: and   displaying the row ad over the first row when a date for row ad availability is passed.   
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 21  further comprising not displaying the row ad when the date for row ad availability has not been reached. 
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 21  further comprising receiving row ad metadata for a row ad; and
 communicating the row ad metadata to a user device. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 23  wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a satellite. 
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 23  wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a terrestrial system. 
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 23  wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a broadband system. 
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based on a subscription. 
     
     
         28 . The method as recited in  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad when a user is not a subscriber to anchor network. 
     
     
         29 . The method as recited on  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based on a user device characteristic. 
     
     
         30 . The method as recited on  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based on an Internet connection. 
     
     
         31 . The method as recited on  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based on a presence of an ATSC tuner. 
     
     
         32 . The method as recited on  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based on an absence of an ATSC tuner. 
     
     
         33 . The method as recited on  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based on a presence of a Digital Video Recorder. 
     
     
         34 . The method as recited on  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based on a geographical region. 
     
     
         35 . The method as recited on  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based comprising an invitation to join as a subscriber. 
     
     
         36 . The method as recited on  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based comprising a link to a channel. 
     
     
         37 . The method as recited on  claim 23  wherein displaying the row ad comprises displaying the row ad based comprising a link to text information.