NBC Universal’s television shows won’t be on Apple’s iTunes after December if the two sides don’t come to a deal.
According to the New York Times, NBC Universal couldn’t come to an agreement with Apple on selling its shows on iTunes. This news comes just a few weeks after Universal Music Group said it wouldn’t renew its iTunes contract and sell its tunes at will. A deal could still be reached between NBC Universal and Apple.
The NBC Universal move also comes as the General Electric unit is launching Hulu, a video joint venture between NBC and News Corp. NBC Universal was reportedly seeking better piracy controls and wanted Apple to allow it to bundle videos. The newly named Hulu, which will launch a private beta in October gives NBC Universal leverage.
Content companies are miffed that Apple has so much control over pricing. The game plan for these media giants has been to develop rivals, join other ventures from Apple rivals and place bets with startups such as Joost. While many of these new video ventures are designed to thwart Google’s YouTube Apple is also a big target.
If these defections – CBS and News Corp. have iTunes deals – become a stampede, Apple could have a few issues. NBC Universal owns popular shows such as “Heroes” and “The Office.” In fact, the only iTunes deal that would be 100 percent safe is Apple’s deal with Disney. Via the Pixar acquisition, Steve Jobs is on Disney’s board.
