Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), the digital entertainment technology company, on Thursday officially changed its name to Rovi, and began trading under the symbol "ROVI" on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

The company said that it made the move after dramatically changing its product portfolio over the past two years, going from being largely a developer of anti-piracy technology to a provider of informational databases on various media, through acquisitions like All Media Guide and TV Guide owner Gemstar.

Rovi will offer a chip that television and set-top box makers can include to enable viewers to more easily access digital audio and video services, including Blockbuster OnDemand, Flixster, Roxio CinemaNow, Slacker and YouTube XL, Wired.com reported.

The company also on Thursday announced a new media listings guide, called Liquid, that aims to integrate broadcast and cable TV listings with content stored on a user's home network, and content avaialable online.

*Disclosure: Macrovision/Rovi is a sponsor of Digital Media Wire.

London - Betfair, a U.K.-based online gambling firm focused on horseracing, has acquired Macrovision's (NASD: MVSN) TV Games Network interactive TV horserace wagering service for $50 million in cash.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Terminating a deal struck last month to sell its TV Guide Network to Allen Shapiro and One Equity Partners, Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), the provider of copy-protection technology and media databases, said that it will instead sell the network to film studio Lionsgate for $255 million, the same price as the original deal. The sale, expected to close by the end of February, includes both TV Guide Network, available in 83 million homes, and TVGuide.com, an online entertainment destination with over 15 million monthly unique visitors.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a provider of copy-protection technology and media databases, announced on Thursday an agreement to sell its TV Guide Network to Allen Shapiro and One Equity Partners, for $225 million.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Atypon Systems, a provider of software and hosting services to electronic publishers, said on Monday that it has acquired Macrovision's (NASD: MVSN) subscription e-commercer unit eMeta.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN) announced on Monday that it has sold its TV Guide magazine property to private equity firm OpenGate Capital for an undisclosed sum.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a provider of anti-piracy technology and informational media databases, announced on Friday that it has acquired website and technology assets from ThoughtWorthy Media, a platform that allows TV viewers to identify, research and purchase online the music, products and advertising they see on television.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a provider of copy-protection technology and informational media databases, announced on Friday that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) has sold all of its 19% stake in the company to several existing and new institutional investors.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Four months after first announcing plans to acquire Gemstar-TV Guide (NASD: GMST), Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a provider of anti-piracy technology and informational databases, said that shareholders from both companies have now approved the $2.3 billion deal.

Seattle - RealNetworks (NASD: RNWK) announced on Friday that it has acquired Trymedia Systems, a provider of digital distribution services for casual games, from Macrovision (NASD: MVSN) for $4 million.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a provider of anti-piracy and media delivery technologies, announced on Thursday that it has sold its software business unit to private equity firm Thoma Cressey Bravo (TCB) for around $200 million.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a provider of anti-piracy technology and informational databases on various media, said on Tuesday that its proposed $2.8 billion acquisition of interactive program guide company Gemstar-TV Guide (NASD: GMST) has passed antitrust reviews by the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a provider of anti-piracy technologies that also recently acquired content database firm All Media Guide, announced on Thursday that it has partnered with movie and TV show download service CinemaNow, to enable video content from CinemaNow to be downloaded directly to Macrovision-enabled devices such as digital TVs, set-top boxes and network attached storage devices.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a developer of media anti-piracy technology and content distribution services, announced on Friday that it has agreed to acquire Gemstar-TV Guide International (NASD: GMST), a provider of electronic program guides for digital TV services, and the publisher of TV Guide, in a transaction valued at $2.8 billion.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a provider of media anti-piracy and distribution technologies, announced on Monday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Blu-ray Disc security technology from Cryptography Research, Inc. (CRI), for about $45 million.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision (NASD: MVSN), a provider of copy-protection and content distribution technologies, announced on Wednesday that it has acquired All Media Guide (AMG), a provider of informational databases on music, movies and games.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision, a provider of copy-protection and game distribution technologies, said on Tuesday that it has repurchased the remaining $50 million worth of shares under its existing $100 million buyback program, launched in August 2006. Macrovision also said that its board has authorized the company to purchase up to an additional $60 million worth of shares.

Seattle - A global survey of online gamers has found that 83% are willing to view a 30-second ad in order to play a game for free.