Content-modification system with broadcast schedule utilization feature

1. A method comprising:

accessing, by a computing system, broadcast-schedule data associated with a channel;

using, by the computing system, the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel;

determining, by the computing system, that a content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel;

determining, by the computing system, a content-transmission delay associated with the content-presentation device and the channel; and

causing, by the computing system, the content-presentation device to perform an action to facilitate the content-presentation device performing, during a time-period that accounts for the determined content-transmission delay, a content-modification operation related to the identified upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is a coordination system component of a content-modification system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content-presentation device is a television and the content is video content.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel comprises:

accessing first broadcast-schedule data associated with the channel;

extracting, from among the accessed first broadcast-schedule data associated with the channel, second broadcast-schedule data related to one or more broadcast-related events scheduled within a predefined upcoming time-period; and

using the extracted second broadcast-schedule data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel comprises using the accessed broadcast-schedule data and content-transition data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel comprises using the accessed broadcast-schedule data and content-characteristic data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel comprises using the accessed broadcast-schedule data and in-band message data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel comprises:

receiving, from the content-presentation device, a channel identifier that the content-presentation device extracted from content transmitted from a content-distribution system to the content-presentation device; and

using the received channel identifier to determine that the content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel comprises:

receiving from the content-presentation device, a channel identifier that the content-presentation device determined based on detecting a match between (i) query fingerprint data representing content received by the content-presentation device, and (ii) reference fingerprint data associated with the channel; and

using the received channel identifier to determine that the content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the content-transmission delay associated with the content-presentation device and the channel comprises:

receiving from the content-presentation device, an indication of a content-transmission delay associated with the content-presentation device and the channel, wherein the content-presentation device determined the content-transmission delay based on (i) a transmission time that the content-presentation device extracted from content transmitted from a content-distribution system to the content-presentation device, and (ii) a corresponding receipt time at which the content-presentation device received the content; and

using the received indication of the content-transmission delay to determine the content-transmission delay associated with the content-presentation device and the channel.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content-modification operation comprises a content-replacement operation.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content-modification operation comprises a content-overlay operation.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a modification-start time;

wherein causing the content-presentation device to perform the action comprises transmitting to the content-presentation device, an instruction for the content-presentation device to start performing the content-modification operation starting at the determined modification-start time.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the modification-start time comprises adding the determined content-transmission delay to a scheduled start time of the identified upcoming content-modification opportunity.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the action comprises:

retrieving, by the content-presentation device, supplemental content; and

using, by the content-presentation device, the received supplemental content in connection with performing the content-modification operation related to the identified upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a processor, cause performance of a set of operations comprising:

accessing, by a computing system, broadcast-schedule data associated with a channel;

using, by the computing system, the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel;

determining, by the computing system, that a content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel;

determining, by the computing system, a content-transmission delay associated with the content-presentation device and the channel; and

causing, by the computing system, the content-presentation device to perform an action to facilitate the content-presentation device performing, during a time-period that accounts for the determined content-transmission delay, a content-modification operation related to the identified upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the computing system is a coordination system component of a content-modification system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the content-presentation device is a television and the content is video content.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein using the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel comprises:

accessing first broadcast-schedule data associated with the channel;

extracting, from among the accessed first broadcast-schedule data associated with the channel, second broadcast-schedule data related to one or more broadcast-related events scheduled within a predefined upcoming time-period; and

using the extracted second broadcast-schedule data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein using the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel comprises using the accessed broadcast-schedule data and content-transition data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein using the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel comprises using the accessed broadcast-schedule data and content-characteristic data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein using the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel comprises using the accessed broadcast-schedule data and in-band message data to identify the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein determining that the content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel comprises:

receiving, from the content-presentation device, a channel identifier that the content-presentation device extracted from content transmitted from a content-distribution system to the content-presentation device; and

using the received channel identifier to determine that the content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein determining that the content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel comprises:

receiving from the content-presentation device, a channel identifier that the content-presentation device determined based on detecting a match between (i) query fingerprint data representing content received by the content-presentation device, and (ii) reference fingerprint data associated with the channel; and

using the received channel identifier to determine that the content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein determining the content-transmission delay associated with the content-presentation device and the channel comprises:

receiving from the content-presentation device, an indication of a content-transmission delay associated with the content-presentation device and the channel, wherein the content-presentation device determined the content-transmission delay based on (i) a transmission time that the content-presentation device extracted from content transmitted from a content-distribution system to the content-presentation device, and (ii) a corresponding receipt time at which the content-presentation device received the content; and

using the received indication of the content-transmission delay to determine the content-transmission delay associated with the content-presentation device and the channel.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the content-modification operation comprises a content-replacement operation.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the content-modification operation comprises a content-overlay operation.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , the set of operations further comprising:

determining a modification-start time;

wherein causing the content-presentation device to perform the action comprises transmitting to the content-presentation device, an instruction for the content-presentation device to start performing the content-modification operation starting at the determined modification-start time.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 , wherein determining the modification-start time comprises adding the determined content-transmission delay to a scheduled start time of the identified upcoming content-modification opportunity.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 , wherein the action comprises:

retrieving, by the content-presentation device, the supplemental content; and

using, by the content-presentation device, the received supplemental content in connection with performing the content-modification operation related to the identified upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.

31. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause performance of a set of operations comprising:

accessing, by the computing system, broadcast-schedule data associated with a channel;

using, by the computing system, the accessed broadcast-schedule data to identify an upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel;

determining, by the computing system, that a content-presentation device is receiving content on the channel;

determining, by the computing system, a content-transmission delay associated with the content-presentation device and the channel; and

causing, by the computing system, the content-presentation device to perform an action to facilitate the content-presentation device performing, during a time-period that accounts for the determined content-transmission delay, a content-modification operation related to the identified upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel.