E! Entertainment Shows Hit iTunes

Another day, another cable network: Apple's iTunes Music Store is now offering episodes of "hit" programs from E! Entertainment Television.

Apple’s still marketing-dominating iTunes Music Store has added more shows to its download-to-own video service, this time encompassing “hit” shows from E! Entertainmnet Television. iTunes will be carrying new weekly episodes of the second season of The Girls Next Door beginning July 31, the new seaso of Dr. 90120, as well as new episodes of The Simple Life: ‘Til Death Do Us Part. As with other iTunes video offerings, episodes are $1.99 each, and are available the day after original broadcast.

“We’re thrilled to expand our growing video catalog with this original content from E! Entertainment Television,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “With over 35 million videos sold, iTunes provides the best way for fans to discover, purchase and download video online.”

While the availability of content from the E! network unquestionably increases iTunes’ offerings, it also highlights the increasingly fragmented nature of the digital video market: Apple’s had tremendous success chasing after current programming from broadcast and cable networks, along with portions of the back catalogs from long-running, well-regarded programs, classics, and fan favorites. Increasingly, new items appearing on iTunes and other video download services are likely to be be niche programming and speciality shows. Coming soon, infomercials?