RSSNBC Universal returns to iTunes, altering its pricing model
By Ed Oswald | Published September 9, 2008, 3:47 PM
After a pullout last year appeared to pit two of America's most resplendent, rainbow-colored properties at odds with one another, NBCU's Jeff Zucker had his chance to make a Steve Jobs-like play for the Apple faithful.
NBC's comeback to iTunes was announced this morning in San Francisco by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during an event where its two best-selling iPod models were updated. The importance of that announcement is both symbolic and significant: At one time before the network pulled out last fall, it was estimated that as much of 40 percent of all television-derived content purchased on iTunes was produced by NBC.
Earlier disagreements over pricing had strained the relationship between the network and the service provider, at the time that NBCU was busy getting its online video service Hulu off the ground. NBC's return would likely accelerate video downloads significantly in the coming months, as the market has matured quite a bit in the one year since the pullout.
It does appear as if NBC got its way somewhat, with the introduction of a variable pricing model. Standard definition shows will still be made available for $1.99, although high definition versions of some series will be available for a dollar more. Breaking from its standard pricing model, Apple will allow NBC to charge 99 cents for select "catalog" downloads.
A Season Pass option will also be made available, so that consumers can purchase an entire season at a discounted price (this in light of the absence of a complete subscription model for iTunes as a whole); and for the next two weeks, a free episode will be made available from among NBC's top shows.
Furthermore, iTunes users will get an advanced showing of new shows including the new Knight Rider one week before their premiere on the network.
"The return of our shows to iTunes is terrific news for everyone who loves television and the ease and convenience of Apple's iTunes," NBCU president and CEO Jeff Zucker said. "And now, by offering consumers a variety of new options, our fans have even more ways to enjoy our content."
For NBCU it's a "Why not" proposition. If someone wants to buy it and take it with them, we should let them. Personally, I think the real money is in the season purchase. Because then you can create a repeat customer. The one-offs will forget and go back to the DVD or not at all.
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|good god why? Hulu has feeds for free? And they are fine with exception of ads in the streams. and they are getting easier to block with ad blocking software (it just skips them cause it can't locate the stream content from the ad server).
And just output it to TV on a laptop or something and your on TV watching it top notch. if you want higher quality either watch it on TV with a DVR or something for timeshifting, OR buy the season on DVD next year.
IDK I just don't see the appeal of the iTunes thing at all. People get all orgasmic over it and I couldn't possibly care less if blew up tomorrow. The iPod is essentially a USB HD, just treat is as such, drag and drop what you want on it and never use the iTunes thing at all. It sure is easier to move mp3 around and share stuff if you want too when you use one that way.
as far as I know all Apple iPods are UMS complaint, and only some of them need hacks to make them act that way. Namely the video ones. But they do work full UMS none the less with just a drag and drop of your files and play they do NP.
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|40%?! Do we iTunes users really have that bad of a taste in programming!?
I think it's rather ridiculous that they charge a dollar more for HD content because if you think about it, the shows are filmed in HD to begin with.
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|"40%?! Do we iTunes users really have that bad of a taste in programming!?"
NBC=Nothing But Crap! (J. Dunham)
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|Yes, many NBC viewers and iTunes users have been concerned about the ability to see Knight Rider. The world needs another David Hasselhoff.
It'll be interesting to see if all the people who swore they'd never buy another NBC product will change their minds now that such products are available again through the iTunes store.
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