iPhone Buzz » NBC

NBC exec criticises iTunes pricing, anti-piracy security

Chris Davies — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:43:58 +0000

When NBC started making conciliatory gestures toward Apple back in January it looked as thought the network’s TV shows might soon be back on iTunes. Of course, that hasn’t happened, and the two companies are still arguing over how media is priced and whether Apple is using, as many analysts suspect, iTunes as a loss-leader to pull in new iPod buyers. Now NBC’s chief digital officer, George Kliavkoff, has cranked the pressure up a notch, with the suggestion that current anti-piracy solutions aren’t secure enough to protect his company’s content.

“If you look at studies about MP3 players, especially leading MP3 players and what portion of that content is pirated, and think about how that content gets onto that device, it has to go through a gatekeeping piece of software, which would be a convenient place to put some antipiracy measures. One of the big issues for NBC is piracy. We are financially harmed every day by piracy. It results in us not being able to invest as much money in the next generation of film and TV products” George Kliavkoff, chief digital officer, NBC

While NBC Universal’s film arm distributes through iTunes, currently the only legal way for users to view TV content online is via the Hulu service. Described as a YouTube for professionally produced video – together with the anti-piracy measures such producers demand – Hulu currently lacks any download or mobile device use. Since iTunes is the largest music retailer in the US, Kliavkoff’s comments seem obviously aimed at Apple.

NBC and Apple have disagreed over the way wholesale and retail pricing is arrived at. NBC are looking to set their own wholesale price, from which point they say retailers are free to mark it up, to make profit, or mark it down and use it as a loss-leader. However Apple are apparently trying to set both the price they sell content at and the price they buy it, passing the loss-leader mark-down on to NBC. The network pulled its TV shows from iTunes in December last year.

NBC pulls shows from iTunes following contract breakdown

Chris Davies — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:23:54 +0000

Following their decision not to renew their contract with Apple over disagreements regarding iTunes pricing, NBC removed all of its content – including that of its affiliates – from the online store over the weekend. Citing Apple’s refusal to consider even “modest” demands, and suggesting that the company was slashing prices on video in order to increase iPod sales, NBC’s withdrawal means Apple has lost its largest partner for digital video and an estimated 1,500 hours of media. That includes popular shows such as The Office, Scrubs and 30 Rock.

Instead, content from Bravo, mun2, NBC, NBC News, CNBC, NBC Sports, Sci Fi, Sleuth, Telemundo or USA Network are available on NBC’s own ad-supported download service, NBC Direct, which currently lacks a Mac-version of the software (one is expected next year).

[via iLounge]

Rumor: NBC and Apple May Be Parting Ways

Staff Editor — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:31:42 +0000

Ah, content providers and their stringent pricing and sales schemes. On the same note, NBC signed up knowing what the deal was, and now they want to come along and change it like as if they have a stake in the company?

Basically what is happening is NBC is apparently wanting to change the pricing scheme for its shows. As if that wasn’t enough, they also want the ability to bundle videos, I don’t know if they would be bundling multiple videos, test pilots, or advertisements, but surely there has to be a reason why Apple is so dead set against it since they already bundle songs in albums.

Anyways, Apple and NBC have until December, when their current contract expires, to work things out. So when the fall season of your favorite NBC shows starts, if you are dependent on iTunes for them, you might want to make sure you know when they actually air before December.

Rumor – Disagreements with Apple could lead to NBC shows being pulled from iTunes [via SlashGear]