Methods and systems of facilitating sharing of information among service providers

Abstract

Methods and systems for a media guidance application that aggregates media content and media guidance data for users. For example, the media guidance application may aggregate content from numerous providers and provide the content through a single interface. Moreover, the media guidance application described herein may provide service providers with finder's fees for sharing information about media assets that users are interested in viewing.

1 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a server associated with a plurality of content providers, a user interface request, over a communications network, to access a media asset from a first content provider of the plurality of content providers that is specified in the request;   in response to determining that the media asset is not available from the first content provider:   identifying, at the server, a second content provider of the plurality of content providers that provides the media asset, wherein the second content provider is not specified in the request; and   transmitting, over the communications network, a command to cause display of a recommendation, on a display screen, for the media asset not available from the first content provider, wherein the command causes a display of the recommendation without indicating that the media asset is from the second content provider.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the recommendation includes a link to the media asset stored at a server of the second content provider, and wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the media asset from the server indicated by the link. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the identifying the second content provider comprises identifying the second content provider based on a user profile indicating preference levels of the second content provider. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising in response to the receiving the user interface request to access the media asset from the first content provider:
 retrieving, by the server, metadata of the media asset from one or more of the plurality of content providers.   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising:
 storing, by the server, the metadata of the media asset in association with the user profile, and   adjusting the preference levels indicated by the user profile based on the metadata.   
     
     
         56 . A system comprising:
 input/output circuitry of a server associated with a plurality of content providers configured to:   receive a user interface request, over a communications network, to access a media asset from a first content provider of the plurality of content providers that is specified in the request; and   control circuitry of the server configured to, in response to determining that the media asset is not available from the first content provider:   identify a second content provider of the plurality of content providers that provides the media asset, wherein the second content provider is not specified in the request; and   wherein the input/output circuitry is further configured to:   transmit, over the communications network, a command to cause display of a recommendation, on a display screen, for the media asset not available from the first content provider, wherein the command causes a display of the recommendation without indicating that the media asset is from the second content provider.   
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the recommendation includes a link to the media asset stored at a server of the second content provider, and wherein the input/output circuitry is further configured to transmit the command to cause display of the recommendation by transmitting the media asset from the server indicated by the link. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to identify the second content provider by:
 identifying the second content provider based on a user profile indicating preference levels of the second content provider.   
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 58 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to, in response to the receiving the user interface request to access the media asset from the first content provider:
 retrieve metadata of the media asset from one or more of the plurality of content providers.   
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 store the metadata of the media asset in association with the user profile, and   adjust the preference levels indicated by the user profile based on the metadata.   
     
     
         61 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
 instructions that when executed by a control circuitry of a server associated with a plurality of content providers cause the input/output circuitry to:   receive a user interface request, over a communications network, to access a media asset from a first content provider of the plurality of content providers that is specified in the request; and   instructions that when executed by the control circuitry of the server cause the control circuitry to:   identify a second content provider of the plurality of content providers that provides the media asset, wherein the second content provider is not specified in the request; and   instructions that when executed by the control circuitry of a server associated with a plurality of content providers cause the input/output circuitry to:   transmit, over the communications network, a command to cause display of a recommendation, on a display screen, for the media asset not available from the first content provider, wherein the command causes a display of the recommendation without indicating that the media asset is from the second content provider.   
     
     
         62 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 61 , wherein the recommendation includes a link to the media asset stored at a server of the second content provider, and wherein the instructions that cause the input/output circuitry to transmit the command to cause display of the recommendation further cause the input/output circuitry to transmit the media asset from the server indicated by the link. 
     
     
         63 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 61 , wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry to identify the second content provider further cause the control circuitry to:
 identify the second content provider based on a user profile indicating preference levels of the second content provider.   
     
     
         64 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 63 , further comprising instructions that when executed by the control circuitry, in response to the receiving the user interface request to access the media asset from the first content provider, causes the control circuitry to:
 retrieve metadata of the media asset from one or more of the plurality of content providers.   
     
     
         65 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 64 , further comprising instructions that when executed by the control circuitry cause the control circuitry to:
 store the metadata of the media asset in association with the user profile, and   adjust the preference levels indicated by the user profile based on the metadata.