Apple and NBC Universal today announced the return of NBC programming to the iTunes Store including NBC networks’ top 10 series available immediately for purchase and download in both standard definition and stunning high definition.
iTunes customers can choose programming from NBC, USA Network, SCI FI Channel, Bravo, Sleuth and NBC News including favorites such as the award-winning and critically acclaimed “Heroes,” and the Emmy award-winning programs “The Office,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “30 Rock.” NBCU standard definition television shows on the iTunes Store are $1.99 per episode and HD programs are available for just one dollar more at $2.99 per episode and select library content is available for $.99. Additional NBCU programming from Oxygen, Telemundo, Mun2 and NBC Sports will be available on iTunes soon.
“The return of our shows to iTunes is terrific news for everyone who loves television and the ease and convenience of Apple’s iTunes,” said Jeff Zucker, President and CEO, NBC Universal, in the press release. “And now, by offering consumers a variety of new options, our fans have even more ways to enjoy our content.”
“We are thrilled that NBC is back on iTunes in time for the Fall TV season,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “NBC has some of TV’s most popular shows and now customers can purchase and download them from iTunes in SD or stunning HD.”
iTunes customers can also purchase a Season Pass which allows viewers to buy an entire season of programming at a discounted price. In addition, NBC Universal is offering one free episode from each of their top series, available in either SD or HD, on the iTunes Store for the next two weeks. The premiere episodes of upcoming NBC shows, such as “Knight Rider,” “My Own Worst Enemy” and “Kath & Kim” will be available on iTunes a week before their broad- cast premieres later in September and October, with subsequent episodes available the day after broadcast. NBC is also making full episodes of several vintage television shows available on iTunes for $.99, including “The A-Team,” “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,” “Miami Vice,” “Kojak” and the original “Battlestar Galactica.”
The iTunes Store is the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 8.5 million songs, over 30,000 TV episodes and over 2,500 films including 600 in stunning high definition video. With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as iTunes Movie Rentals, integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, the ability to turn previously purchased tracks into complete albums at a reduced price, and seam- less integration with iPod(R) and iPhone(TM), the iTunes Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.
iTunes 8 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Store and is available as a free download via iTunes.com. Purchase and download of songs and videos from the iTunes Store requires a valid credit card from a financial institution in the country of purchase. Video availability varies by country.
MacDailyNews Take: Jobs wins as usual.
crawling back an hands and knees muhahahahahaha
Shocking that Apple apparently made no concessions to NBC’s demands. There is no bundling, no price changes… it’s the exact same deal they walked away from before.
I think the $2.99 for HD is a modification, but that’s the only one I see. I’ve gotten use to downloading NBC shows for free now (though I still pay for Fox, ABC Family, etc.) I’ll have to see if the lure of season passes and automatic downloads gets me back.
Roast crow, anyone?
I wonder how much NBC LOST for all the time they spent NOT in the iTS?
Miami Vice. ’nuff said….
MDN!!!!
thats all you have to say??
Please sir, may I have another?
Good. NBC programming isn’t good, but I love Monk and Psych. We have decided to get rid of our Satellite TV ($100/mo for SD) in exchange for buying the few shows we like and an AppleTV.
Dear Quad Core,
Even smarter is buying a mac mini or a large screen imac and using hulu! Its free!
I would had love to been a fly in those meetings between Apple and NBC. I bet that was a big pill for Mr. Zucker to swallow, and I bet that Mr Jobs was laughing his head off behind close doors and saying under his breath “Have it!”
Of course it seems My Life on the D-List has disappeared from the Bravo store, even though it used to be on there…
How many M I L L I O N S of dollars did NBC L O S E with this stupid stunt?
Bravo to everybody’s favorite, A P P L E , for sticking to it’s guns.
So are the commercials.
I can’t get my ATV to sync with iTunes so I CAN watch the new TV shows on HD. I keep getting an error reading, “The apple TV is not responding. Check that any firewall software running on this computer has been set to allow communication on port 3689”. Huh? How do I do that? It’s always “just worked”.
The reason for all of this is that one nastygram I sent to NBC for not having stuff on iTunes anymore and on top of that forcing people to download Silverlight to watch video on the Olympics site (which I refused to do).
Yup, it was all me. You guys can send me iTunes gift cards later.
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NBC had no choice at all.
If I can paraphrase Humphrey Bogart from “The Maltese Falcon”,
“When I tell you what the price is, you’re gonna take it and you’re gonna like it!”
iTunes, bitch.
This should be the real definition (NBC) of being a loser. NBC doesn’t have any distribution and any part of reaching to their audience. Pathetic of leaving and ratting out Apple.
I said it when they walked away, they will come back in one year. I guess I was right.
The pricing still seems high to me. $1.99 for a 23-minute sitcom? or worse, $2.99 for the thing in HD? For those who take public transportation every day or people who fly a lot, I suppose the price isn’t so bad, but jeez, you can rent a movie DVD for a dollar these days.
The reason Jobs and Apple “won” is that they had the best product, they knew they had the best product, and they knew NBC had no better way to make money selling their shows on the net.
Therefore, when NBC left iTunes Apple simply said: fine, hope you do well. No telling them they are fools and giving them the finger as they depart. And now when they return, Jobs is very gracious in saying: “We are thrilled that NBC is back on iTunes.”
That is just good business on Apple’s part. Never burn bridges and always leave the door open for someone to come back. Jobs is a smarter businessman every day.
Eat shit, Zucker boy!
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Aaahhh…
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