Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Apple's iTunes gives NBC a ratings boost!!

Apple's iTunes has arrived for TV and video! For NBC have today announced that NBC's show "The Office" saw its highest ratings ever last Thursday in the crucial 18-to-49 demographic. And the network is attributing the bump to iTunes.

The broadcaster, owned by GE, signed a deal with Apple Computer last year to offer shows through the store. And now officials at NBC are saying that the program is the network's top-performing podcast available through the online store.

And iTunes is allowing NBC to reach new users as well as opening a new revenue stream. This is extraordinary news for Apple. And the kind of news that should get consumers to try downloading even more iTunes videos as well as persuading other TV networks to join iTunes.

And over time iTunes could become an increasinlgy vital (distribution) channel of it's own, perhaps even one to rival the Comcasts or BSkyB's of this world (see article on the future of TV in sister channel business-rant yesterday). And maybe the real gotcha is that internet TV and video will take off quicker than we all imagine!

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