Apple

NBC and Apple make peace

Pete Wylie — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:50:30 -0400

NBC and Apple have returned to each other's good graces, as NBC will deliver shows over iTunes for the first time since its contract with Apple ended last year. NBC pulled its content from iTunes immediately after the contract expired. The companies could not agree over pricing structure for NBC's shows, which accounted for more than one-third of television downloads on iTunes at the time.

NBC shows are available on iTunes immediately at a standard rate of $1.99 per episode for current series like The Office and 30 Rock, while older content such as Kojak will be offered for $0.99. Many reports indicate that NBC wanted to double the fee per episode for its content, but NBC has denied this all along.

iTunes's "Season Pass," which offers reduced fees for full-season purchases, was an integral part of NBC's acceptance of the deal, according to Broadcasting and Cable.

NBC also announced that as a push to open its fall TV season, it will offer the first episodes of new shows on iTunes a week before their network debut. It will make one episode per show free for browsers.

For more:
- see the article on Broadcasting and Cable

SPOTLIGHT: Battle for the TV

Doug Mohney — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:34:07 -0400

There's a war over who will supply online video to the home TV starting to build, with three major players and lots of others wanting to buy in says GigaOm.

Amazon, Apple, and Netflix are named as the front-runners for their brand name recognition, deep pockets, and infrastructure. Amazon has a large user base, a new VOD service and an "online locker" model to store purchased movies, but had trouble on its first VOD go round and doesn't currently offer HD. Nextflix is moving out of its DVD mailing model to online streaming, but it only has 10,000ish titles and doesn't have HD.

Other players include Microsoft and Sony's game consoles doubling as home streaming boxes, TVs with Internet functionality built-in, and the cable and telecom companies who control the pipes to the end-user.

For more:
- GigaOm draws the battle lines for TV's future

Related articles:
Netflix: 20 Million Future Streaming Customers, DVD Peaking
Amazon Joins the Instant-on VOD Club

HBO Breaks iTunes Pricing

Doug Mohney — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:33:03 -0400

Once upon a time, Apple made iTunes and insisted all TV shows available for download would be priced at the same $1.99 per episode. Until HBO came along and said otherwise, kapish?

Consumers will be charged $2.99 per episode to download acclaimed HBO hits “The Sopranos,” “Deadwood,” and “Rome.” Standard-issue fare such as “Sex and the City” and “The Wire” will be priced at the same old $1.99 per month, a fact that will no doubt annoy David Simon and Baltimore crime drama fans; “Sex and the City” fans should be consoled since they’re getting a big screen movie on May 30.

Apple says HBO programming is some of the “most requested” by their customers, no doubt another reason to charge an extra dollar per episode. The price hike is likely to get other media companies to lean on Apple to be more flexible in pricing, but will the discussions be as awkward as the way Paulie Walnuts wanted Christopher to cover the tab for dinner? After all, NBC Universal left iTunes over pricing issues. Showtime has offered most of its popular shows on iTunes for two years and music companies have been lobbying long and hard for flexible pricing beyond the 99 cents a song.

For more:
- Apple’s announcement of bowing to HBO
- New York Times coverage of the HBO/iTunes deal

Related articles:
NBC exits iTunes, enters Hulu
iTunes Wins Equality with DVD Releases

iTunes Wins Equality with DVD Releases

Doug Mohney — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:54:07 -0400

New movies from major film studios and independents will now be available for purchase through the Apple iTunes store on the same day as their DVD release. New releases will be available from 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lionsgate, Image Entertainment and First Look Studios.

New releases will be priced at $14.99 with “most” catalog titles at $9.99. The first new iTunes releases in parallel with their DVD counterparts include “American Gangster” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” According to Apple, the iTunes store currently has a catalog of over 600 TV shows and over 1,500 films including 200 in “stunning” HD video.

Analysts see Apple’s move pressuring Amazon.com and distributors on their newbie online efforts and in fresh DVD sales. There’s also speculation the major movie studios will announce similar direct to DVD & online deals with other Internet video distribution outlets.

For more:
- A thoughtful UK Times Online piece on Apple’s iTunes immediate movies
- PC World blogger grumbles about buying movies online.

Related articles:
NBC exits iTunes, enters Hulu
Apple seeks control of video home