NBC turns to Amazon after Apple break-up
updated 08:10 pm EDT, Tue September 4, 2007
NBC goes to Amazon Unbox
NBC Universal has announced that it will sell episodes of its new fall television shows using Amazon's Unbox digital download service, a quick rebound after ties were severed with Apple last week. Shows like "The Office" and "Heroes" are currently available for $1.99 on Unbox (the same price at which they were offered through Apple's iTunes Store) and new episodes will be added to the site they day after they air. Last Friday, NBC Universal said it would no longer offer episodes of its TV shows through the iTunes Store. Apple countered by terminating NBC's iTunes Contract, announcing that it would not sell NBC television shows for the upcoming television season.
Apple claimed it had declined to pay more than double the wholesale price for each NBC TV episode, which would have resulted in the retail price to consumers increasing to $4.99 per episode from the current $1.99. NBC Universal later said it never asked to double the wholesale price--as Apple claimed--and insisted its network shows will be sold by the iTunes Store through early December, adding that Apple needs do more about piracy and that the iTunes pricing strategy is hurting content providers.
Regarding the new Unbox deal, The Associated Press reports "Customers will be able to buy an entire season of a show at once. Free pilot episodes of NBC's new fall shows, such as 'Bionic Woman' and 'Chuck,' will appear starting Sept. 10. The NBC content can be played, without commercials, on the computer screen, or on a TV through a Web-enabled TiVo set-top box."
ABC, CBS, FOX and The CW, along with more than 50 cable networks, are still currently signed up to sell TV shows from their upcoming season on iTunes at $1.99 per episode.
Sorry
09/04, 08:17pm reply
This is just another non-Apple service that will fail. If it doesn't play on the iPod, or the Mac, it will die. Sorry NBC, you are the weakest link. GOODBYE!
apple4ever
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Joined: Jan 2001
STUPID DUMB f****
09/04, 08:18pm reply
Another name for NBC.
jarod
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Joined: Apr 2005
brilliant!
09/04, 08:47pm reply
So, let's see: NBC now, spitefully, goes to a service that sells next to no quantity, gives them the same content, *has* to maintain the same pricing to not lose face, and overall make a LOT less money (since they will be selling to only a handful of Windows Drones).
Confusing how the article describes this as somehow new and different: "Customers will be able to buy an entire season of a show at once. Free pilot episodes of NBC's new fall shows, such as 'Bionic Woman' and 'Chuck,' will appear starting Sept. 10. The NBC content can be played, without commercials, on the computer screen, or on a TV through a Web-enabled TiVo set-top box."
...which is the exact same features that iTunes users have been enjoying all along, including free pilot previews, and buying entire seasons at once...
So, just to say it again, NBC now declares as some kind of victory that they are selling a LOT less, and make a lot less money, and pissed off most of their prior, PAYING, customers...
Great move, NBC!
ZinkDifferent
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Joined: Jan 2005
unsubscribe
09/04, 08:54pm reply
write NBC and tell them as an Apple owner you are unsubscribing their podcast downloads. I don't know what they produce anyway - networks are irrelevant.
Mr. Fartleberry
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Joined: Jul 2003
What The . . .
09/04, 09:02pm reply
Amazon has an "Unbox" service? STILL? Hardy-har-har-har!
VinitaBoy
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Joined: Oct 2001
zinkdifferent
09/04, 09:11pm reply
On your last paragraph , you have forgotten to add , "by calling them pirates and thieves which of course they view iPod usera .
Stegabot
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2001
proofreading?
09/04, 09:12pm reply
"MBC Universal....."
Its the first line. Can the spelling at least be right in the first line? Is that really so much to ask? This is a "news" site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjhOBiSk8Gg
infinsq
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Joined: Jul 2006
Content through iTunes
09/04, 09:42pm reply
Why is Apple obligated to do MORE about piracy when their iTunes mechanism is pretty much download and play?
If anything, they should be focusing on the Bittorrent users! Wait, that doesn't work, doesnt it...
legacyb4
Mac Elite
Joined: May 2001
re: proofreading?
09/04, 10:07pm reply
What do you expect? They had "RIMM" instead of RIM for Research in Motion a couple weeks ago. And had the The "Beetles" instead of "Beatles" last week. They don't correct errors either. We should take our slop, move along and stop holding up the line.
koolkid1976
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Joined: May 2003
Re: unsubscribe
09/04, 10:23pm reply
write NBC and tell them as an Apple owner you are unsubscribing their podcast downloads. I don't know what they produce anyway - networks are irrelevant.
Well, first, what podcast downloads does NBC offer? Second, if the networks are irrelevant, then why in the world are so many upset by this?
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001