NBC Universal Says It Won't Renew Deal with iTunes
"Save the cheerleader, save the world." But it doesn't look like anything will save the deal between iTunes and NBC Universal, the owner of shows like Heroes, The Office and 30 Rock.
Daily Tech writes that NBC is tired of the almost iron-like grip that Apple likes to keep on, well, pretty much everything it touches. In this case, it's the pricing model used to distribute music and video on iTunes.
NBC Universal feels that it should ... have the ability to package content together. Apple on the other hand has stood its ground with regards to pricing and contends that packaging video content would lead to confusion for buyers and decrease demand.
NBC Universal is currently the top provider of videos on iTunes, making up 40 percent of the site's downloads. You'll still be able to get the shows you like until the end of December, but after that, well, you'll have to go back to watching the cheerleader get saved on regular TV.
There is always the chance of an 11th-hour agreement. But right now, it looks like NBC is not playing Apple's tune ... or, should I say, iTune. But it is a familiar one for Apple. In July, Universal Music Group decided not to renew its long-term contract with Apple over similar pricing concerns.
1:29 PM ET | 08-31-2007 | permalink
