Looks like all the fussin’ and feudin’ between NBC Universal and Apple has come to an end (for now) as the two companies announced yesterday that shows from networks within the Peacock family (NBC, Bravo, USA, Sci Fi, et al) will once again be available through the iTunes service. NBC Uni pulled out of iTunes last fall after a fight over pricing. NBC was the No. 1 supplier of iTunes’ digital media, and NBC Universal president Jeff Zucker wanted some say over Apple’s flat $1.99 per episode pricing scheme (some reports say he was pushing for $4.99 per episode). Despite NBC’s value to iTunes, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said no, and NBC opted to not renew its contract with iTunes.
You’ve got to admire Zucker for trying to take down iTunes’ stranglehold on digital media distribution and its strict, secretive, proprietary (and extremely successful) way of doing business. You also have to admire that he is big enough to admit when he’s licked: Hulu, Zune Marketplace, and Amazon UnBox (Amazon what? Exactly.) just don’t pose a serious threat to the iTunes hegemony — or its cash-generating prowess. So, in a deal that includes a new $2.99 per HD episode option, NBC has come back into the Apple fold just in time for the fall TV season.
Though Jobs has seemingly won this battle, he remains a half step behind in the war against piracy by failing to offer the subscription-based model it was rumored would be unveiled this fall. The reduced-price season pass option for TV shows is a step in the right direction, but the real way to win the entire public is have them think of the monthly iTunes subscription as a "necessity" on par with cable, Internet, and cell phone service. You think Verizon Wireless would be doing as well if it was based on a price-per-call structure? iTunes is certainly better off being able to offer a Heroes season pass for $29.90, but there will be a whole lot of people who’ll find those same episodes elsewhere for free AND be able to view them not only on an iPod, but also on a Creative Zen player (without tedious conversion), a portable DVD player in the car, and any other device they desire.
What of you, PopWatchers? You psyched to watch NBC shows on iTunes, or does live TV and your DVR suffice? And how about those of you (fess up, now) who download shows for free — would you be tempted to sign up for a subscription model instead?
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Why would I pay $30-$40 to download a season’s worth of episodes on iTunes? I can pay the exact same price a year later and get the DVDs. Then I can watch them on a hi-def flat screen instead of a tiny window.
Wait a minute… Does this mean I can’t watch the Office on HULU anymore? Cause that would seriously piss me off.
I agree with Josh. I pay good money for the DVDs when they come out, so why would I want to pay $30 for a season (or even more) when I can easily watch each episode for free, either legally (Tivo converted to Ipod format or on Hulu) or illegally. I mean, come on, $2.99 for a high-def episode that can easily be found for free (and which isn’t worth it for just an ipod screen)? I’ll pass.
This is especially true when I have to buy a season’s worth at a time. I mean, Heroes was dreadful last year. I am going to give it a try again this year due to decent early buzz about it getting back to what made it good before, but I will be taking it an episode at a time.
And for the record, if I did download via not-so-legal methods (not that I necessarily do), I wouldn’t feel guilty, because A) I can legally move my Tivo recordings over to my computer, so what is so different? and B) I own about 100 TV seasons on DVD, so I do pay for the media; I just refuse to pay twice for the same content.
The networks and music companies have created an audience that does not feel guilty about illegally downloading or searching for shows for free. I feel NO GUILT. $0.99 is too much to pay for the bits and bytes that make up a digital song. $1.99 is way too much to pay for the bits and bytes that make up an episode that I just want to watch once. The companies need to join the 21st century. And all you people who pay for this stuff? You’re part of the problem. Traditional TV is dead, just like CDs are dead. We’ll all be looking back on this time period in twenty years, laughing our arses off.
I think I will happily stick to my DVR, which records up to 4 shows at once. It seems to do the trick. Most of the shows I watch are on other networks, anyway. If I miss an episode, I can easily catch it on the network’s website. If not, there’s always Netflix. Who says I have to watch a show during an actual season? Sometimes it’s better to be able to watch episode after episode without quitting, and without having to wait a week to find out what happens. I wouldn’t waste my money on an iTunes TV show.
O Hosannah does this mean I’ll get my BSG at the click of a thumb?
OK, it is pretty silly to pay for the season pass, but BSG tends to blind me from logic and good money management with its awesomeness. Plus I don’t have cable.
Nee Nee – what service do you have that allows four shows at once on your DVR?? I’m already in a pickle on September 25th when the two-hour Survivor premiere, two-hour Grey’s premiere, and hourlong Office premiere all are on at the same time. Sigh. I will definitely be buying The Office on iTunes – for archival purposes if nothing else. DVR is fleeting.
I’d be hardpressed to go back to paying for Itunes after I’ve been watching shows free on Hulu, which I love. And I also love that Amazon Unbox now lets you pay and immediately stream the show, no more downloading huge files to my computer which I end up having to delete anyway, and with Unbox once I buy it I can stream the show as much as I want without having to save to my computer. Nah, I don’t see myself going back to Itunes.
“Though Jobs has seemingly won this battle, he remains a half step behind in the war against piracy by failing to offer the subscription-based model it was rumored would be unveiled this fall. ” This isn’t reporting, it’s opinion. If Apple wanted to offer subscription services OR if it felt it was in its economic interest to do so, it would. Period. But Apple – which reseraches the market as hevily as any other company – has seen that subscriptions services are NOT the stellar successes that many have tried and most have failed. Apple could do it right, but on its own timetable. There is a place and market for subscription services but it has not proven “necessary” for consumers.
I always find this kind of backseat prognostication fascinating. if a bit wrongheaded and stupid.
I am absolutely psyched about this announcement. The only show I watch on my ipod is Psych because it is my favorite show of all time. I was lost afterthey cut off being able to get it for my ipod. I mean I watch it every Friday @ 10pm, but I want my Psych to go as well. This is so AWESOME!!!
I’m a cherry picker when it comes to episodes, so I’m totally happy with the fact that they’re back together! I just don’t buy DVD sets for TV shows–I just buy the three or four eps I like then burn them to a DVD. I’m not saying this is a good thing, it’s just what I do. I’m the same with music — I tend to listen to all the songs on a CD using Songzaa, then buy the songs I like on iTunes. I rarely buy the whole CD, unless I like more than half the songs (and then I’ll buy the actual CD–which is often better quality than downloading). So…yeah, I’m more than cool with the news. Fits my (apparently old-fashioned, according to the other comments) way of thinking. (Oh, I also want NeeNee’s DVR–*four* shows at once? Jealous!)
I plan to buy the Office on iTunes as soon as it’s available, and on dvd when it comes out. I don’t have the patience to burn the dvd’s to my computer. I’d rather pay an extra $30 for iTunes to do it, plus then they’re on my iPod for travel right away.
I knew it was only a matter of time before NBC came back. How dare they try to cross my Steve.
Hulu is almost as bad as NBC or ABC online – the commercials I have to sit through make it worse than DVR’ing the show!
Steve Jobs for president!!
At&t’s U-Verse lets you record 4 shows at once
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t NBC make pretty much all their shows available for free viewing on their OWN WEBSITE during all of last season-even prior to the writer strike? For a good amount of time you didn’t even need Hulu. I know NBC eventually took the episodes off their own site as it drew closer to the new season, but it took them a long while to do so.
$30 try $60-66 dollars
20-22 episodes x 2.99
Thanks to my trusty DVR, hulu, netflix and various network websites (ABC’s being the best) I usually don’t need itunes.
Sometimes, however, there is one episode of a show that I’d like to have in my library and I would never buy the whole season. Usually a Psych ep.
Oh, and Shasta .99 & 2.99 are far to LESS to pay for the creativity, talent and hard work that went into creating the piece of entertainment
you are partaking of.
I don’t really watch anything on NBC so I didn’t miss them. Between live TV and my trusty DVR, I’m usually covered. iTunes shows take up too much room on my hard drive. I only go that route in an emergency. Why pay twice for a show? I’m just going to get it on DVD anyway!
iTunes is okay but I prefer Hulu.com. Free is the right price for me.
I will never buy NBC shows from anywhere again. When NBC pulled the office from itunes I had to download and convert the free ones to get them on my ipod. Then I got a call from my isp saying NBC had contacted them because I had illegally downloaded copyrighted content and my service would be terminated if I did it again. Of course they wanted me to buy them from Amazon but that doesn’t allow me to re-encode them for the ipod. Now that they are back on itunes I will NOT buy them. Fortunately I have a digital OTA tuner so I can record them in HD and put them on the ipod for free.
It would be nice if iTunes let me finish my season pass that i had bought for season 2 of psych. When NBC originally left iTunes, they refused to refund me. They arent responding to my support emails now that i’ve requested to atleast continue my season pass. WTF!? Can i sue for this?
It’s good! rolex watch?
luxury watch?