Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, Apple
Apple to stop selling NBC Television shows
Earlier today we noted that NBC had decided not to renew its contract with iTunes, thereby opening the possibility that NBC TV shows would no longer be available in iTunes come December (when that contract is up). Apple has just released a press release stating that they have decided not to carry NBC's upcoming season of shows, since the contract would expire during the middle of the television season leaving iTunes buyers in the lurch. They also point out that NBC wanted to raise the price per episode to $4.99 (oh, NBC, why are you so stupid?). I assume that past seasons' content will remain available until such time that NBC figures out a way to get out of their contract earlier.Once again I am reminded that when old media tries to clutch to outmoded business models it is the tech savvy consumer that loses. Thanks, NBC!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Sean Hayford O'Leary said 3:26PM on 8-31-2007
NBC was moronic for wanting people to pay $4.99 per episode (and they wanted additional DRM??). That said, though, Apple's being rather inconsistent -- check out the PBS NOVA shows on iTunes -- $7.99 an episode!
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Sam said 3:28PM on 8-31-2007
PWNED
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Breached said 3:35PM on 8-31-2007
This is symbolic of the plight of America: corporate greed vs. the people's wants/needs. You know the score.
This is remarkably nearsighted of NBC. I don't buy many shows, but let's see oh looks like 40 Rock and Heroes are the main ones I purchased, both NBC. I guess I am going to have to purchase HD HomeRun now. http://www.elgato.com/index.php?file=products_hdhomerun
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Johnny Thrash said 3:36PM on 8-31-2007
I'm not paying 5$ for an episode when I can typically buy an entire 24 episode season of a show on DVD with better quality for $45 or $1.87 an episode.
Even a show like Eureka is 12 episodes on DVD for $38 or $3.16 an episode.
NBC is shooting themselves in the foot and so be it... it's their loss.
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John Bennett said 3:36PM on 8-31-2007
I love how every time someone asks them to raise their prices, Apple just plain out releases a statement about it and makes the other company look like a dumbass.
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RalphMuchachio said 3:41PM on 8-31-2007
A nation mourns.
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Ben said 3:43PM on 8-31-2007
hey guess what NBC? I paid to download The Office off of iTunes. Now, thanks to this, I'm using Bit Torrent. I would've gladly paid 1.99 an episode. But, you had to be greedy. So, have fun not getting my money.
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Bobnease said 3:52PM on 8-31-2007
How freaking moronic can NBC/Uni be? $4.99 per episode? They're already making a killing off all of their DVD sales, Movies Video Games, and I'm sure they make more than enough from advertising on all of their hit shows. I think they're shooting themselves in the foot BIG TIME with this one! You'd think they would want to have their shows available in every format, so they can make the most profit off of them. I know how much money it takes to convert one episode to iTunes format, and it's not worth charging Five bucks for one stupid episode that I could go online and get for free in a million other places. I do pay $1.99 for shows, but it had better be a freaking hour and a half to two hour movie for me to pay five bucks.
Let's see how long this lasts! Greedy, Greedy Universal.... when will you learn?
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MDJ said 3:54PM on 8-31-2007
Oh NBC, what the hell are you thinking? Where did your accountants and MBA's get their degrees? Out of Cracker Jack boxes? NO ONE possessing sound mental faculties is going to pay more than twice the current price for TV SHOWS! Unless, of course, you enhance them in such a way as to make them worth the increase. Good luck with that. Have you taken leave of your senses? The word "ridiculous" can't even begin to even think about describing the surprising length to which your stupidity extends.
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Eric B. said 4:10PM on 8-31-2007
I downloaded the office and a couple of other shows that I had missed. It was nice and easy and took one click. Now I'll go the three click route and get them free from a torrent or Elgato. Make it easy and reasonably priced and I'll pay for it. Precisely the reason iTunes gets my money.
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Blu-Sam said 4:14PM on 8-31-2007
If that happen, $4.99/show on HEROES
23 shows, total $114.77
if NBC accept $1.99/show on HEROS
23 shows, total $45.77
Either without bonus and subtitle/caption
As current DVD package sell for $47.98 thry NBC's online store
It's like $2.09 each show
with extra googie in there.
Bad idea.
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John Kirk said 4:14PM on 8-31-2007
This is symbolic of the plight of America: corporate greed vs. the people's wants/needs. You know the score. - Breached.
Who are you? Karl Marx? To paraphrase honest Abe, better to remain silent than to speak and remove all doubt.
Every time prices go up it's "corporate greed". But when they go down that's "supply and demand". Learn some economics and get a grip.
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Catt said 4:25PM on 8-31-2007
$5/ show? I don't think so.
I didn't watch their shows anyway so don't care much if they aren't there. Now if SciFi was to do this kind of thing I would be seeing stars.
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Johnny Thrash said 4:38PM on 8-31-2007
Sci-Fi is an NBC/Universal network. =(
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Mitch said 4:40PM on 8-31-2007
I let NBC know of my feelings about this via their website contact page... i suggest you take a minute to do the same
http://www.nbc.com/Footer/Contact_Us/
better to let them hear it directly - they won't read your comments here :)
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Jwrite said 4:40PM on 8-31-2007
#13 - Reality Check, SciFi is owned by NBC too... so I think those shows are gone as well!
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Keith said 4:44PM on 8-31-2007
I actually gathered some direct contact info for the NBC Universal Executives. They are listed on my blog.
http://keithwick.net/2007/08/31/nbc-executive-contact-information-call-to-protest-itunes-decision/
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Johnny Thrash said 4:45PM on 8-31-2007
#16 Most people don't keep up with who owns what... I didn't know til this morning cuz it wasn't important in my life - until today. =)
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Matteo said 4:54PM on 8-31-2007
Can I guess something?
Well... My guess is that the mentioned price per episode (4.99 USD) might not necessarily be the price of the actual "sub SD" quality, but rather negotiations about a future release of HD titles.
At least my guess would make some sense, well more than if the price per episode is based on the actual offering. The same would apply for the "stronger DRM restrictions".
Because I really don't think NBC woke up one morning thinking "hey, let's make Steve p**ed off by asking way more money". And when they talked to Steve they said "oh well.. Why should I make money out of iTunes, which btw is going to be released in other countries as well.
So, my opinion is that we are looking at failed negotiations for HD content on iTunes music.
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bibi-pov said 4:57PM on 8-31-2007
Seeing news like this actually makes me wondering of how much money they can earn from advertising when broadcasting shows on regular/free tv... more than $1.99 per viewer? I don't think so.
Just to keep those numbers in perspective, when NBC is publishing ad-revenues of ~$2bn, given that there were about 15 millions of viewers in average for each of the 24 episodes of heroes, that'd means that at $1.99 revenue per viewer, Heroes alone would account for 38% of NBC's ad revenue. I don't think so...
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