CBS Corporation’s Showtime Networks and Apple today announced that premium cable programming from SHOWTIME, including recent Golden Globe nominees “Sleeper Cell” and “Weeds,” is now available on the iTunes Music Store. With the addition of SHOWTIME hit programming, iTunes now offers more than 50 popular TV shows available for just $1.99 per episode for viewing on a Mac or Windows computer or iPod. The iTunes Music Store is the world’s most popular video download store with more than 12 million videos purchased and downloaded.
“iTunes allows fans of these hit Showtime programs to purchase and watch them in an innovative way,” said Matthew C. Blank, chairman of Showtime Networks in the press release. “It is also a tremendous opportunity for non-subscribers to sample Showtime’s programming.”
“We’re thrilled to expand the iTunes video catalog with premium content programming from Showtime,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes in the press release. “With over 12 million videos sold, iTunes provides the best way for consumers to discover, purchase and download video online.”
SHOWTIME programming on the iTunes Music Store covers a variety of current and previous-season content. Programs include the first full season of the critically acclaimed Golden Globe nominee, “Sleeper Cell,” the complete first season of the groundbreaking “Weeds,” starring Golden Globe award-winning actress Mary Louise Parker; and the complete first season of “Fat Actress,” starring Kirstie Alley.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated video and Podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and videos online. The iTunes Music Store features a selection of over 3,000 music videos, Pixar and Disney short films, a variety of hit TV shows, and more than two million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent labels.
iTunes 6 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Music Store and is available as a free download from http://www.apple.com/itunes
Purchase and download of songs and videos from the iTunes Music Store requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. Television shows are available in the US only, and video availability varies by country. Television shows are $1.99 per episode, and music videos and short films are US$1.99 each.
Click here to launch iTunes Store.
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I want Sopranos.
Call HBO.
Showtime – how about the Chris Isaak Show?
If Fat Actress is on my iPod will she be fit?
arrested development! hopefully, in time…
and here’s hoping it proves to be a giant black eye on FOX when downloads go through the roof
I want ZOOM!!!
From all reports and the Internet sites which give information about sales, the iPod (video) has overtaken the iPod Nano and sales of videos on iTunes is soaring.
When other iTunes Stores (Europe, Australia and Japan) start selling television programmes, then this could turn into a huge source of income for Apple.
I hope Apple are negotiating this. The BBC, for example, has extensive archives (sound and film) and a lot of the stuff would be of interest to the north American and Australian audiences.
I think, in general, there would be a large audience for historical footage.
It would be great to be able to download the speeches of, for example, Churchill, Kennedy, Martin Luther King, yes and even Senator McCarthy.
Also, I’d love to be able to download the old footage of the great jazz and blues artists:- Billie Holiday, Coltrane, Miles Davies, Big Bill Broonzy etc. etc.
Come on Apple! Do it!
HD or no deal.
Surly Duff – “HD or no deal.”
Are you delusional? Do you know how much disk space you would need to store 1 hour of HD content? Do you even know how long it would take to download that much content over broadband? Apparently not or you wouldn’t have made this comment.
You seem to take the same approach so-called audiophiles have about AAC and MP3… “it’s not of a high enough quality, I want my sensitive ears to hear the inaudible frequencies.” For the same reason we don’t download Lossless Music is the same reason we’ll probably never see full-length HD content in the next 5 years. Give everyone a break and go sell crazy somewhere else.
Wow, if HBO ever gets on board, I could download my shows and then still buy the DVD’s after the season and still come out cheaper than what I pay a month for HBO. Ssshhhh! Don’t tell HBO.
If you are going to recycle press releases as content for your site, at least have the journalistic integrity to label them as such.
When I saw Showtime, I was hoping for episodes of Penn & Teller’s Bullshit. Alas.
As a matter of fact “edge,” the H.264 Apocalypto trailer weighs in at 46.8MB for 2:42 at 480p. While not strictly broadcast quality HD (720p or 1080i) it is a sh1tpile better than the 320X240 muck being offered from iTunes. And when it comes to the Sopranos, yes, it does make a difference.
Bring on Survivor.