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NBC TV shows disappear from iTunes as contract expires

4 December 2007 0:20 by Rich "vurbal" Fiscus | 7 comments

In a move that comes as a surprise to virtually no one, NBC Universal (NBC U) won't be selling TV shows on iTunes since their contract with Apple expired last weekend.

Problems between Apple and NBC U flared up over iTunes' pricing policies. NBC U executives felt their revenue of $15 million from iTunes sales last year would have been higher if they were given the ability to set different prices for more popular content. Apple's policy is to sell all TV episodes for $1.99, while NBC wanted to sell episodes of some shows for as much as $2.99.

"We had 40% of the market share on the video side of iTunes, we were most popular," NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker said at a keynote address Monday at the UBS Global Media Conference in New York. "It wasn't the game changer for us that it was for Apple. We would like to be part of it. But nowhere does the reseller set the wholesale price. We wanted price flexibility and greater protection against piracy. Over time, we hope to work all that out."

NBC content has also been pulled from YouTube in order to promote NBC's new venture with News Corp., Hulu. Hulu provides both full TV episodes and clips from various shows, and even offers a few movies. Hulu's content is free, but it's currently in closed beta testing.

Source: Variety

Permalink to this article

Hulu adds 7 new partner websites to deliver streaming video (21 May 2008)

CBS adds classic TV shows to streaming lineup (23 February 2008)

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Veoh adds videos from Hulu (16 January 2008)

U.S. viewers continue to embrace online and mobile video (28 December 2007)

Apple and Fox ink deal for iTunes movie rentals (27 December 2007)

Hulu to go public some time next year (16 December 2007)

Netflix becomes official internet VOD source for Heroes (29 November 2007)

NBC Direct beta open (13 November 2007)

Eisner takes shots at WGA, Hollywood, and Apple (8 November 2007)

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Zucker isn't done bashing Apple (30 October 2007)

NBCU Chief criticizes Apple yet again over iTunes (29 October 2007)

NBC online video moves to the Hulu private beta (29 October 2007)

NBC pulls plug on YouTube channel (21 October 2007)

NBC Universal adds extra networks for online venture (10 June 2007)

NBC Universal CEO lashes out at YouTube (8 February 2007)

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Discuss this article!
jookycola (Member) 4 December 2007 9:17
*Quote:* I can't believe we're paying to see something we get on TV for free! If you ask me, everybody in this theater is a giant sucker! Especially you! - Homer Simpson (The Simpsons Movie) [ + quote]
maryjayne (Junior Member) 4 December 2007 10:30
I agree. A season of a show is typically about 15 episodes. At $1.99 per episode comes to be $29.85 for the season. Why wouldnt you just buy the box set once it is released on DVD? Even so, at the prices already paid to cable companies, they should be offering the content on the internet for a much lower cost. Free would be good since most people already are paying to watch it via cable. [ + quote]
tester22 (Inactive) 4 December 2007 11:21
WHAT CRAP! I am so sick and tired of money grubbing prick corporations. "Ohhhh. waahhhhhhhh .......I'm only making 450 million this year instead of 500 million because we decided to take care of our viewing audience and customers". This would definitely explain why NBC is the only network to not offer their shows via download or stream like ABC does. [ + quote]
akaangus (Member) 7 December 2007 3:26
Well, considering what high quality original content is coming out from NBC (or really other network) during this writer strike, does this really matter? At least those who paid to get content from NBC still have it, because you don't just rent the content like so many other lame-ass services. [ + quote]
tester22 (Inactive) 7 December 2007 12:03
I agree akaangus. Personally, I think the only quality content from NBC nowadays is Heroes.................and that's scattered-ass all over the net. Harry's law----"you broadcast over the airwaves for free.......I take for free and do whatever I want with it except make money off it." [ + quote]
DPensee (Newbie) 8 December 2007 12:09
Again, the entertainment industry doesn't even attempt to hide or mitigate their unbridled greed. If RIAA/MPAA, broadcast networks and major labels continue to alienate their audiences with their selfishness and litigation, they will ultimately lose this market to more customer-oriented start ups. As the increasing ubiquity and dropping cost of multimedia technology puts the means of producing higher quality output directly in the hands of the creative minds, vice needing the patronage and resources of megacorporations and their CFOs, by fighting this trend, the latter are only hastening their obsolence. It's not enough for them simply to jump on the online bandwagon if they don't adapt their business models to the demands of the market. What they fail to acknowledge is that they no longer control the market--and no amount of litigation or user-hostile pricing is going to change that. Content has become more commoditized. If you want someone to pay more, you have to provide them something they find of value, motivating them to pay the delta. Just because some arbitrary metric indicates that certain shows are "more popular" does not mean that people are going to be willing to pay for those shows online--particularly, since with DRM, they can't translate that content to other, more user friendly formats for archival and retention. [ + quote]
borhan9 (AfterDawn Addict) 23 December 2007 6:31
*Quote:* *Quote:* I can't believe we're paying to see something we get on TV for free! If you ask me, everybody in this theater is a giant sucker! Especially you! - Homer Simpson (The Simpsons Movie) This sums it up quite nicely. [ + quote]