Apple sells 200 millionth TV episode, over 1 million in HD

By Nate Mook | Published October 17, 2008, 4:00 PM

Although it didn't announce any new content for its iTunes Store, Apple reiterated that it is now carrying content from all four major television networks alongside news that it has sold 200 million TV episodes.

Apple began selling television shows via iTunes almost exactly three years ago, starting with a handful of programs from Disney's ABC. Since that time, Apple has expanded its library to over 30,000 episodes from most of the major TV networks.

Although sales started slow and Apple previously lumped its movie and TV sales numbers together, the introduction of the Apple TV and additional content deals have helped ramp up those figures. The company says over 1 million TV episodes have sold in high-definition -- for a $1 premium -- since it introduced HD shows last month.

For the first time -- and largely thanks to Apple smoothing out relations with NBC Universal -- iTunes now offers a full lineup of Fall 2008 primetime TV shows, over 70 in total. But the company is facing growing competition from Hulu, which enables users to view full episodes in their browser for free, but with brief commercials inserted.

Microsoft also sells TV episode downloads via Xbox Live, and Sony has begun doing the same through its PlayStation 3 console.

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With all due respect skimore, who cares?! (Although you do have to wonder! ;-) The real news is for those who maintain that it is impossible anyway, as so many have told us since last year's CEDIA that the network infrastructure will never allow it!

The real news is that the impossible is actually occuring! LOL!

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WOW.. people buy this stuff.. Pay for cable then buy the shows also?? or are these out of the USA sales.....

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I have bresnan cable, and if your like me you know CBS is the only true 720i channel as it has a high bitrate around 14mbps, the rest are all 480i and 480p that are very horrifying to look at, very low bitrate. I NBC/ACB/CW11 and Fox are all "HD" but delivery around 1.8mbps. With plenty of ghosting. I buy all my shows online almost.

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