NBC slumming with the Zune

So, after a public spat with Apple over pricing of their content on the iTunes Store, NBC is now schilling their shows on the Zune Marketplace at a hefty increase of zero dollars and zero cents. NBC ditched Apple when their contract expired in a public rift that seems to have centered on pricing flexibility. Apple wanted the programs to sell for $1.99 like every other TV show in the store, and NBC wanted the flexibility to increase the price on more popular shows. Although the programs are currently $1.99 in the Zune Marketplace, Microsoft states that NBC has the flexibility to increase prices if they see fit.

So, to recap – NBC pulls it’s programming from the #1 retailer of music and video content in the world, which serves up programming to over 100 million iPods, over a pricing dispute. It then signs a contract with Microsoft to offer it’s content to a marketplace that serves around 2 million Zunes.

In my world, we call that crazy.

Have fun with your “flexible” pricing NBC. I’m sure it will be real successful.

Category: Digital Music