NBC returns to iTunes for 65 million viewers and HD action
After pulling its shows from iTunes over a dispute involving pricing and bundled content deals a year ago, NBC has signed back up to sell its TV shows to iPod users.
At today's "Let's Rock" event, Steve Jobs reported the partnership between Apple and NBC Universal is back on once again, with Apple now advertising 65 million account holders in iTunes, the largest source for paid TV downloads anywhere.
Last year, NBC content made up roughly 40% of all video downloads on iTunes. Critics complained that NBC's pullout would decimate iTunes' attempts to break into TV distribution.
NBC began its own efforts to market TV online, but after lackluster reception to its own solo efforts to sell or describer ad-sponsored content for free, as well as lukewarm interest in a variety of partner sites with other broadcasters, the company is now ready to return to Apple and offer its content to the largest online market for video.
?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. ?And now, by offering consumers a variety of new options, our fans have even more ways to enjoy our content.?
Additional NBC Universal programming from the Oxygen, Telemundo, Mun2, and NBC Sports networks will be available on iTunes soon, while content from its NBC, USA Network, SCI FI Channel, Bravo, Sleuth and NBC News networks will be made available immediately. That includes show such as the award-winning and critically acclaimed ?Heroes,? and the Emmy award-winning programs ?The Office? and ?Battlestar Galactica.?
NBC Universal will offer one free download from each of its top series?in standard or HD?during the next two weeks. The premiere episodes of upcoming NBC shows, such as ?Knight Rider ,? ?My Own Worst Enemy? and ?Kath & Kim? will also be made available on iTunes a week before their broadcast premieres later in September and October, with subsequent episodes available the day after broadcast.
Apple also announced the availability of new HD TV content in iTunes, with new HD shows priced at $2.99 and existing standard-definition TV remaining at $1.99. Unlike the HD movies available on Apple TV, HD TV shows will be viewable on any iTunes-equipped Mac or PC. NBC will be among those offering HD TV content.
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.?
At today's "Let's Rock" event, Steve Jobs reported the partnership between Apple and NBC Universal is back on once again, with Apple now advertising 65 million account holders in iTunes, the largest source for paid TV downloads anywhere.
Last year, NBC content made up roughly 40% of all video downloads on iTunes. Critics complained that NBC's pullout would decimate iTunes' attempts to break into TV distribution.
NBC began its own efforts to market TV online, but after lackluster reception to its own solo efforts to sell or describer ad-sponsored content for free, as well as lukewarm interest in a variety of partner sites with other broadcasters, the company is now ready to return to Apple and offer its content to the largest online market for video.
?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. ?And now, by offering consumers a variety of new options, our fans have even more ways to enjoy our content.?
Additional NBC Universal programming from the Oxygen, Telemundo, Mun2, and NBC Sports networks will be available on iTunes soon, while content from its NBC, USA Network, SCI FI Channel, Bravo, Sleuth and NBC News networks will be made available immediately. That includes show such as the award-winning and critically acclaimed ?Heroes,? and the Emmy award-winning programs ?The Office? and ?Battlestar Galactica.?
NBC Universal will offer one free download from each of its top series?in standard or HD?during the next two weeks. The premiere episodes of upcoming NBC shows, such as ?Knight Rider ,? ?My Own Worst Enemy? and ?Kath & Kim? will also be made available on iTunes a week before their broadcast premieres later in September and October, with subsequent episodes available the day after broadcast.
Apple also announced the availability of new HD TV content in iTunes, with new HD shows priced at $2.99 and existing standard-definition TV remaining at $1.99. Unlike the HD movies available on Apple TV, HD TV shows will be viewable on any iTunes-equipped Mac or PC. NBC will be among those offering HD TV content.
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.?
Comments
I'd love to know what made them think they had a substitute for iTunes waiting in the wings.
Hubris. It is really quite fashionable among the commissar class.
...But it is even better to have the content.
As a boss at NBC how do you explain all the revenue you missed out on by leaving iTunes in the first place??
Easy. You do it by saying the exact thing Jeff Zucker was quoted as saying in the article:
?And now, by offering consumers a variety of new options, our fans have even more ways to enjoy our content.?
He's obviously trying to spin it as if NBC won the battle, not Apple. The reason they left was because Apple wouldn't let them have "even more ways" to squeeze money out of their customers. He's just hoping nobody will remember that what they really wanted was higher pricing and multi-show bundling. HD shows weren't in the mix at the time. So really all Apple gave them was episodes of the A-Team for 99 cents. The same shows they had before are available for the same price as before. Pretty clear who cried "uncle."
Now if only those HD shows were just a wee bit cheaper. Better yet, we need rental TV shows for a lower price. Still, it's a great option for when my Comcast DVR scews up [again] and only records part of an episode of a show.
http://tinyurl.com/5jjw9d
Ultimately, we'll never know. In the end, this will help both parties.
Thank you Hollywood/Jeff Zucker.
HD Movies to buy -next please.
lots of humble pie at NBC then
I should now swear, and call them names, but I won't.
Since only the Classic isn't in a fancy widescreen I hope that all shows, HD and SD, will be in a widescreen format, especially since most are aried that way now.
It's nice to win...
It's a win/win/win. (us, Apple and NBC).
As a boss at NBC how do you explain all the revenue you missed out on by leaving iTunes in the first place??
Moreso, they missed a HUGE opportunity to sell video from the Olympics, the biggest TV event of them all. They could have sold millions of copies of highlights from the games and opening ceremony, right when public interest was at its peak. But no, they decided to sell DVDs instead, which aren't in high def, and won't even ship until October.
If the board members of NBC/UNI had any sense they would boot Zucker out of the company for this colossal blunder.
http://tinyurl.com/574ub8
I'd like to know more "details."
Interesting...
http://tinyurl.com/574ub8
I'd like to know more "details."
Interesting article, but you don't have to use TinyURL. It's nice to know where the link is taking us and these forums will truncate any url that exceeds a certain character length.
Interesting article, but you don't have to use TinyURL. It's nice to know where the link is taking us and these forums will truncate any url that exceeds a certain character length.
Yeah, I know. It's just a habit.
Weren't all the SD shows in 4:3 ratio? Are the HD shows widescreen?
Since only the Classic isn't in a fancy widescreen I hope that all shows, HD and SD, will be in a widescreen format, especially since most are aried that way now.
Episodes of Bones and Jericho that I've purchased were 16:9, but 640x360. The 2008 Stanley Cup Final games were 640x480--non letterboxed.