NBC Offers Swath of TV Shows via iTunes

NBC Universal becomes the latest network to hop in bed with Apple Computer's iTunes video service, offering a spate of prime time, late-night, cable, and classic shows for download.

From “must-see TV” to “must-see on iPod,”: Apple Computer and NBC Universal announced today that NBC is making an broad swath of television programming available for download via Apple’s increasingly mis-named iTunes Music Store for $1.99 per episode. Apple says it’s sold more than 3 million videos since it began offering video downloads in via iTunes October 12; the agreement with NBC expands iTunes’s TV offerings from five to sixteen shows. The new shows are available today in newly-created areas of the iTunes store specific to the NBC brands.

NBC offerings include commercial-free primetime and late-night programming from the network, selected shows from its USA Network and Sci-Fi Channel outlets, as well as classic older shows. Customers will be able to purchase and download current shows the day after they’re originally broadcast on TV; NBC’s shows carry the same pricing as shows from rival network ABC also available via iTunes. The NBC lineup available via iTunes is currently:

• NBC:
  • Law & Order
  • The Office
  • Surface
  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
  • Late Night with Conan O’Brien
• USA:
  • Monk
• SciFi:
  • Battlestar Galactica
• Classic:
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents
  • Dragnet
  • Adam-12
  • Knight Rider

NBC Universal CEO Bob Wright said “We are committed to helping viewers enjoy the wide breadth of our programs across an equally wide range of devices and distribution models. Apple has developed a distribution platform that is attractive to consumers while at the same time providing the safeguards against theft that are so important to us and to every content provider. We are pleased to partner with them in this new venture.”

No financial terms of the arrangement were disclosed, nor have Apple or NBC made any claims the digital video distribution deal is exclusive, presumably leaving NBC free to partner with other online video distributors which emerge. iTunes Music Store currently features first run episodes of popular programs from the Disney-owned ABC Network; Apple and Disney have reportedly been working on offering selected ESPN programming via iTunes as well.