Dish begins promoting its Alexa integration into Hopper service

Dish Network has begun to promote the integration of Amazon Alexa voice control technology into its Hopper set-tops. 

The satellite carrier is set to run a series of TV spots featuring its salt-and-peppered, empathy-charged character-actor spokesman, the so-called “Spokeslistner,” introducing the voice remote tech to a befuddled family looking for a movie to watch. 

“Pay TV remotes and user interfaces are notoriously difficult to use, which means consumers cannot get to the content they love easily,” Jay Roth, chief marketing officer at Dish, told MediaPost. “With Dish's Hopper/Alexa integration, that is a nonissue.”

RELATED: Dish integrates Alexa voice control into Hopper DVR

In January, Dish began pushing a software upgrade to all generations of its Hopper DVRs, allowing them to integrate with Amazon’s Alexa voice control devices. 

Comcast has offered voice control for its X1 platform users for nearly two years via proprietary technology. The Alexa arrangement allows Dish to enable voice control for its video systems with a simple integration deal and software update. 

“We constantly evaluate emerging technology, like Alexa, and its potential to improve how people watch and control their TVs,” said Niraj Desai, Dish VP of product management. “This allows us to design strategic roadmaps and deliver products that make TV more valuable, at no extra cost to subscribers.”