Apple to Offer Seasons Pass for TV Shows

[MacRumors]

Apple's been busy with updates to their iTunes Music store model. Yesterday, Apple introduced a Multi-pass system to pre-purchase upcoming episodes of daily TV shows a month in advance. The new system will automatically download new shows as they are aired. (16 new episodes for one month at $9.99).

Now, Apple's iTunes site reveals that Apple will be introducing a "Season Pass" for weekly TV shows. This appears to be the natural progression of the Multi-Pass.

Buy a Season Pass and get a whole season of a TV show, past or present, at a discount.

The system doesn't appear to be in effect yet, as the current iTunes "Buy All Episodes" button still reflects the same pricing as buying each TV show individually.

Again, all of these systems still represent a buy-to-own model, which means that the podcasts/shows will continue to play after you are no longer an active subscriber.

 

[shrimpdesign]

That's awesome! I'd much rather get the whole season on iTunes for a discount than recod TV. This is really getting exciting ... once they discount it enough to make it feasible for people to dump their cable, downloading TV will become insanely popular.

 

[DMann]

Movies next?

This may be foreshadowing the subscription service
being forced by Hollywood for full featured movie
downloads.

 

[Shamus]

This is exciting news for those who can access it. In australia we dont have it

 

[nagromme]

Bring the price down around a dollar a show, let me avoid paying for cable (since there aren't that many shows on cable worth my money anyway), offer the shows I want (Galactica at least), and I'm there I'll stop worrying about quality and enjoy the ad-free viewing!

Rabbit ears for Lost and PBS + Netflix for movies + BSG on iTunes = all I need

 

[shrimpdesign]

This may be foreshadowing the subscription service
being forced by Hollywood for full featured movie
downloads.

Not really .. it's just a discounted "buy all" ... you still keep the shows after downloading .. subscriptions usually only give you a short-term licence for the shows/music/movies.

 

[yoda13]

Great news!! We need more content, but I am glad it is still a model where we own the content after we buy it. I can't wait!

 

[nagromme]

People use "subscription" to mean just about anything--and iTunes "bulk purchasing in advance" DOES work much like a magazine subscription.

But for music and video, I'd define "subscription" as meaning that you pay a flat amount, and then you watch/listen to whatever you want, as long as you keep subscribing. Like Napster. Like Netflix.

I'd define "rental" as meaning you pay for a SPECIFIC video or music download, but you don't get to keep it forever. (That would be great for movies and TV I think, if it was cheap.)

These Apple passes are neither: you keep the download forever, you simply pay less by committing to a whole batch.

 

[EricNau]

Still not good enough quality. Once it's DVD quality, let me know. Until then, I don't care.

 

[Doctor Q]

It used to be one type of media and one price fits all. Now we have variety in products and it looks like Apple is going to try various pricing models. More flexibility, but more complexity. I hope they don't scare of skittish customers with too many choices.

 

[EricNau]

What's the difference between a season-pass and a multi-pass?

Season-pass for once a week shows (e.g. Lost), and multi-pass for daily shows (e.g. Daily Show)?

 

[ScottB]

That sound's quite cool. Can't say I would see myself buying that, but hey at least they kept the buy to own structure.

 

[camphorsunrise]

Personally, I am THRILLED. I love the supscription/bulk purchasing idea! The Multi-Passes and Season Passes will make my life a lot easier. Currently, I work 3rd shift, and it would cost me $120 to get the channels I want on cable (including my broadband service), but I'm really only looking for a couple of shows, ALL which air while I'm asleep, so I'd have to pay an additional $12.95 a month to Insight for a DVR box to record them, and I still wouldn't be able to pull those off the hdd in the cable box because they've disconnected the USB ports... So not only does the new system save me money, but I can take my favorite TV shows with me and watch them at work which saves me valuable time. (You'll know what I mean if you've ever been a night shift person...)

I'm just hoping for some HBO and Showtime content... I'd love to be able to pick up QaF, The Sopranos, and The L Word legally and conveniently.

 

[Enterprise8875]

Wow this is amazing. I will sign up for a season pass of Galactica and maybe The Office as soon as its up.

 

[SemperMac]

This is exciting news for those who can access it. In australia we dont have it

Ditto here in the Kingdom of Denmark!
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/da.html

BTW, in my country we are also still missing out on the "Music Videos" and "Short Films" part of iTunes and last, but not least, a lot of modern Danish music is missing in iTMS because of an ongoing dispute between Apple and Phonofile Denmark.

Generally speaking Apple as a company is present in our country with a branch office and also a Danish website resp. webstore (the latter in English though), but as a brand almost 100% invisible in the Danish media (print, tv, radio and outdoor).

If it wasn't for the iPods and us unpaid "evangelist" spreading the word also via http://www.mediamac.dk and http://www.macnyt.dk I think it would be even worse here in Denmark (e.g. no Apple/Mac presence at all).

Denmark is without exaggeration a Microsoft Crown Colony and it's "killing" me that Apple isn't doing a damn thing to change this!!!

 

[arn]

What's the difference between a season-pass and a multi-pass?

Season-pass for once a week shows (e.g. Lost), and multi-pass for daily shows (e.g. Daily Show)?

Season pass is for a full television season (typically 22-ish episodes)
Multi-pass is for one month (16 shows => 4 a week) for $9.99.

The season pass prices don't seem to be determined yet.

ar[n]

 

[EricNau]

Season pass is for a full television season (typically 22-ish episodes)
Multi-pass is for one month (16 shows => 4 a week) for $9.99.

The season pass prices don't seem to be determined yet.

ar

Thanks "ar"

 

[macintel4me]

Pricing Here!

I can now see you can "Buy Season" of "Deperate Housewives" for $34.99 and get 23 episodes. That's about $1.52 per show; essentially a 24% discount. "Lost" is selling at $34.99 too for a season and you get 25 episodes.

 

[Enterprise8875]

I am going to guess the season pass wil go for $19.99. The average for a TV show season is 22 episodes so $20 would be less then half the cost if you bought them for 1.99 each.

 

[Doctor Q]

I am going to guess the season pass wil go for $19.99. The average for a TV show season is 22 episodes so $20 would be less then half the cost if you bought them for 1.99 each.

Will a show that's below or above average in the actual # of episodes have a below-average or above-average price? And what if a show gets canceled midseason?

 

[demallien]

This is exciting news for those who can access it. In australia we dont have it

Shamus, maaate, you just have to find someone with an American credit card. You pay them, and they buy you a gift certificate. Works like a charm for me in France. One catch for young players - you have to create an account on the American store (done whilst redeeming the gift certificate). If you try to use your Aussie account, the system whinges...

 

[dejo]

Shamus, maaate, you just have to find someone with an American credit card. You pay them, and they buy you a gift certificate.

I wonder if you could start a business with this concept. Hmm...

 

[Enterprise8875]

Will a show that's below or above average in the actual # of episodes have a below-average or above-average price? And what if a show gets canceled midseason?

Good question, I wonder what Apple will do. Will they do a Season Pass fixed price where every season pass costs to same regardless of how many episodes the season has or will they adjust it? I would assume they will go for adjusted prices because some shows have very different season show numbers(like Battlestar Galacticas first season only had 13 while the second has 20). And I have no idea what Apple will do if a show gets canceled.

 

[lorien]

Ditto here in the Kingdom of Denmark!
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/da.html

BTW, in my country we are also still missing out on the "Music Videos" and "Short Films" part of iTunes and last, but not least, a lot of modern Danish music is missing in iTMS because of an ongoing dispute between Apple and Phonofile Denmark.

Generally speaking Apple as a company is present in our country with a branch office and also a Danish website resp. webstore (the latter in English though), but as a brand almost 100% invisible in the Danish media (print, tv, radio and outdoor).

If it wasn't for the iPods and us unpaid "evangelist" spreading the word also via http://www.mediamac.dk and http://www.macnyt.dk I think it would be even worse here in Denmark (e.g. no Apple/Mac presence at all).

Denmark is without exaggeration a Microsoft Crown Colony and it's "killing" me that Apple isn't doing a damn thing to change this!!!

It's the same in Norway *sigh*
Nearly everyone seems to have an iPod and the sooner they get more content on iTunes the sooner Apple gets to siphon off the wealth from one of the world's richest nations. Sure Scandinavia does not represent a large market, but it sure is loaded!

 

[macorama]

Not long till movies then

Definitely sounds like Apple are heading in the direction of a video on demand version of NetFlix. Netflix & Blockbuster etc are really going to be in trouble when that happens - the worst thing about those services is waiting for your discs. If you're downloading your movies it won't be instant, but it'll be much quicker than waiting for the mail...