NBC, CBS to offer shows on demand for 99 cents

Netscape News ^ | 11/07/2005 20:25 | Reuters/VNU

[Jeff Gordon]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - NBC and CBS unveiled separate plans Monday to make some of their hottest prime-time shows available for viewers to watch at their leisure -- without commercials -- for 99 cents an episode, throwing open the door to "on-demand" television.

The back-to-back announcements from NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co. , and Viacom Inc.-owned CBS, came weeks after Walt Disney Co.'s ABC began offering commercial-free Internet downloads of its biggest hits, "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives," for $1.99 a piece.

[Jeff Gordon]

This could be a real money maker when they add extra footage to the downloaded version.

[softwarecreator]

"on-demand" television

Cool.  I demand they tell the truth in their "news".

[Mears]

All I can say is thank God for books and my public library.

[bnelson44]

DON'T tell my daughter!!!! ;)

[clee1]

NBC and CBS have TV shows????

[Nomorjer Kinov]

I cannot think of any show except "24" which I have to watch - - and for which I would pay to watch without commercials.

[savedbygrace]

"Story not found"

Did they move it? A search doesn't find it either.

???????

[quantim]

I'd rather bill them on wasted time regarding news.

[GregoTX]

I havent watched netork TV shows in years ,,, and they are free. Now they want to "offer" them for pay? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!!!!

[Diverdogz]

And how is this better than Tivo?

[martin_fierro]

Please.

I wouldn't buy their garbage even if they printed the stills on toilet paper.

[goodnesswins]

A sucker is born every second....

[kpp_kpp]

i couldn't find it either

but this is related
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9880369/

i'm sure a lot of freeper will take advantage of that

[savedbygrace]

Looks like they're charging exactly what it's worth.

[savedbygrace]

Found it:

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2005-11-08T013757Z_01_SIB770572_RTRUKOC_0_US-DIRECTV-NBC.xml&archived=False

[OmegaMan]

They should shoot two versions now, one censored for network television, and one uncensored for the net. Ill bet they'd sell alot of downloads for an uncensored version of a show.

[Leo Carpathian]

Like Dan Rather without commercials? FReeePeee!

[JoJo Gunn]

"purchasable at mere two taka"

[Ciexyz]

What took 'em so long?