iTunes TV downloads top 200 million milestone

Apple announced users have downloaded more than 200 million premium television episodes from its iTunes digital storefront, including more than a million high-definition episodes since HD programming launched on the service last month. According to Apple, all four major U.S. broadcast networks now offer their primetime hits in HD, including series like NBC's The Office, ABC's Lost and CBS's CSI, alongside content from more than 70 cable networks like ESPN, Comedy Central, FX, MTV, HBO and Showtime.

At $1.99 per standard-definition episode and $2.99 per HD episode, Silicon Alley Insider projects that iTunes video sales total about $280 million in 36 months. Conventional wisdom suggests NBC and Disney (which owns ABC and ESPN) are the big winners here: NBC has said it accounts for the majority of video sales on iTunes, and in March, Disney head Bob Iger said The Mouse had sold "40 to 50 million" TV shows there.

For more on the iTunes TV milestone:
- read this release

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