Last week, NBC Universal and Apple engaged in a game of chicken that ended with Apple halting sales of all NBC content over its iTunes Store, allegedly, after the companies failed to agree on stricter DRM and variable pricing.
NBC had a quick rebound, though. Today, NBC Universal and Amazon.com announced that the online retailer's digital download service, dubbed Amazon Unbox, will begin offering the network's digital TV content at $1.99 per episode - the same price at which shows were offered through Apple's iTunes Store. In addition, the companies plan to offer a variety of packages for the shows, including a discount of up to 30 percent when customers buy a full season's worth of shows.
"Amazon is somebody who understands the wholesale-retail relationships and understands the need for wholesalers to price their content flexibly," Jean-Briac Perrette, president of NBC Universal Digital Distribution, said in an interview.
Quite a hit for Apple, with NBC making up 40% of iTune's digital video downloads. But then again, NBC is also missing the chance to distribute its show on one of the largest video store, not to mention to the ability to play them on the most popular portable player. I should be interesting to see some sales figures a few months later.