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NBCU Deal Makes Broadcast, Cable Series Available on iTunes

Dec 6, 2005  •  Post A Comment

In a move that has been widely anticipated, another broadcast network has struck an alliance with Apple Computer’s iTunes Music Store service. NBC Universal is making available a raft of television series from its flagship broadcast network as well as from cable nets USA and Sci Fi.

In the NBCU-Apple deal, NBCU will make available for download several series, including “Law & Order,” “The Office,” “Surface,” “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and “Late Night With Conan O’Brien.” Cable series included in the deal are “Battlestar Galactica” and “Monk.” In addition, NBCU is making available classic series including “Adam-12,” “Dragnet” and “Knight Rider.”

As with the ABC deal, the newest episodes will be available a day after they air on their respective network. The price per download is $1.99.

The latest iTunes deal comes nearly two months after The Walt Disney Co.’s ABC struck a landmark deal with Apple to offer two of its most popular series, “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost,” for download on iTunes.

Since then a torrent of alternative distribution deals have been announced, including Web-based delivery, mobile phone delivery and unique video-on-demand initiatives. NBCU jumped into the fray by striking a VOD deal with satellite operator DirecTV to make episodes of several programs available on subscribers’ digital video recorders.