NBC Signs Up With Amazon Unbox; Apple Shrugs

Pete Mortensen ()

After Friday’s rumpus relating to NBC’s withdrawal from the iTunes Store, it’s small wonder that the company has already made a business decision to thumb its nose in Apple’s general direction. The Peacock Network will make theirs Amazon Unbox, the amazing new service that no one uses.  And, wouldn’t you know it, Amazon has consumers in mind, right NBC?

“This further expands our longstanding relationship to bring a robust content offering to the marketplace in a variety of ways that will benefit the consumer and, at the same time, protects our content,” said NBC Universal’s president of digital distribution, Jean-Briac Perrette, in a statement.

Whoops! Looks like they’re just being greedy! It’s known that NBC got into a dispute with Apple over fixed pricing on iTunes, and wouldn’t you know? Amazon offers a variety of over-priced options and makes it way harder to actually watch anything you download! In fact, Unbox won’t let two people in the same household share content on a device — in other words, couples are SOL.

What a kinder, gentler model! <Sigh> I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: iTunes saved “The Office.” What a pity that NBC can’t tell.

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About the author

Petemortensen

Pete Mortensen is a design strategist for consulting firm Jump Associates and the co-author of Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy, a book and blog that are significantly more interesting than you might initially think. Pete's particular Apple avocations are both around design--interface and industrial. Follow him on Twitter!

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Posted in iTunes |

  • http://www.thepriebes.com timjpriebe

    I’m a huge Apple fan, but also use Amazon Unbox. Only because you can download straight to your TiVo.

    I’ll be curious to see if the prices are more over there for the NBC episodes. Traditionally Amazon.com has had $1.99 tv episodes as well.

  • use

    how are couples SOL? we use Unbox and its great. the best part is you can download the stuff you buy whenever you want for free. unbox is way better than itunes.

  • http://www.gearsandwidgets.com/ phoenix

    Well then! I hope NBC won’t miss those sales they were getting. I don’t know ANYONE who uses Amazon Unbox.

  • http://prevailingwind.blogspot.com Tim

    As far as I can tell, the Unbox system is incompatible with my Powerbook. THe required media player will only install on a Windows OS. How nice of NBC to say an extra “F You” to all of its Mac-based iTunes customers.