Amazon, NBC in deal for fall TV schedule

September 05, 2007|Associated Press

SEATTLE - NBC Universal said yesterday it will sell episodes of its new fall television shows using Amazon's Unbox digital download service, after the network failed to reach an agreement with Apple Inc. last week to offer the shows on iTunes.

Amazon.com Inc. and NBC Universal said episodes of programs such as "The Office" and "Heroes" are currently available for $1.99 on Unbox, and that new episodes will be added the day after they air.

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 a computer screen or on a TV through a Web-enabled TiVo box.

On Friday, Apple said it will not sell any of NBC's programs for the fall season on iTunes. NBC and Apple have a contract that expires at the year-end; Apple said NBC wanted to raise the prices for its content, a claim NBC denied.