HBO on iTunes – Whoop’te Friggin Doo
Posted May 14th, 2008 by GenghisPhlip
No, I have not had my head underneath a rock, I have just been struggling over whether or not this is actually news or just more idiotic junk. I try to keep from posting idiotic junk so you can see my dilemma. I finally decided that some of you may be interested so it is with great pain in my fingers and weight on my heart and mind that I write that yesterday, it was reported that HBO and Apple may have come to a not so usual agreement with Apple agreeing to adjust the iTunes pricing from the regular fixed $1.99 price for TV episodes as part of an agreement to bring HBO content to the iTunes Store. HBO and Apple also announced that they have already made six popular series available on iTunes this morning, including the hit shows Sopranos and Sex and the City. Deadwood, Rome, The Wire, and Flight of the Conchords.
“While some of the shows will run you the standard $1.99 per episode, Sopranos, Rome, and Deadwood will indeed cost you more: $2.99 apiece. It doesn’t appear that any of the series offer any kind of discount for purchasing whole seasons, though. Checking prices on Amazon, you can get the entire Sex and the City oeuvre for about $200 on DVD. That’s just a few bucks more than what you would pay via iTunes Store for each individual season. Sopranos, on the other hand, goes for about $520 on Amazon for all 28 discs of the entire six season run. The same show on iTunes, even with paying $2.99 per episode, will only cost $260″.
When asked for details about how the variable pricing would work, HBO’s Jeff Cusson told Ars that pricing will be adjusted on a “show by show basis.”
HBO’s iTunes Store page seems to lovingly refer to Flight of the Conchords as “and much more.” Cusson told us that “HBO will continue to add additional programming to the service. Focus was put on Sex and the City to time with the theatrical release [May 30].” He added, “Most of HBO’s series programming will be added to the service in the near future.” And what about HBO’s original movies? “We anticipate making HBO Films available but nothing set at this time.”
So far only these six HBO series are available, but HBO has indicated that they plan to have “most” of their original series available “in the near future.”
This is of course good news for the HBO fans in the audience who are willing to pay a slightly higher price for their favorite shows. And it’s rumored that with Apple and HBO breaking ground with this agreement the road may be paved for NBC to get back on board.
Are they not going to change the cast of Sex and The City ? the girls in there are getting old already.~,-