Tuesday, May 6,2008 @ 10:50am
iTunes UK adds NBC/Universal, despite US boycott
The UK iTunes Store has added a variety of TV shows from NBC/Universal (iTunes link) in spite of their absence from iTunes in the US. Selection is currently limited, but incorporates seasons of Heroes, House, Eureka, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and The Incredible Hulk. Unlike the standard iTunes pricing model, notably, which is consistent across all shows, active shows at the UK store (such as Heroes) are being priced at £1.89 per episode, while defunct ones have a separate rate of only £1.19.
NBC pulled its content from the American iTunes Store in December, following the expiry of a distribution contract. The studio wanted to experiment with varying pricing schemes, such as bundles or higher prices for single episodes, but was met with refusal by Apple. It has since launched a joint venture with Fox called Hulu, providing ad-funded streaming TV.