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Apple announces television content on iTunes Canada

As expected, Apple on Wednesday announced that hit television programming from Canada’s top networks, US broadcasters and the National Hockey League (NHL) is now available for CAN$1.99 per episode from the iTunes Store in Canada.

iTunes customers can choose from Canadian-produced favorites such as the award-winning “Corner Gas” from CTV, smash hit comedy “Little Mosque on the Prairie” from CBC, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “South Park” from Comedy Central and the NHL Games of the Year.

“We’re thrilled to bring television programming to the iTunes Store in Canada in time for the holiday season,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We’re off to a great start with hit shows from CBC, CTV, Comedy Central and MTV Networks, along with the best of classic and current NHL action.”

Television shows purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store Canada can be viewed on a PC or Mac, iPod nano with video, fifth generation iPod, iPod classic or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV. Television programming on the iTunes Store in Canada includes:

  • CBC’s comedy programs “Little Mosque on the Prairie” and “The Rick Mercer Report,” reality programming “No Opportunity Wasted” and “Dragon’s Den;”
  • CTV’s smash hit comedy “Corner Gas,” dramas “Instant Star,” “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and “Robson Arms;”
  • Comedy Central’s “Drawn Together,” “The Sarah Silverman Program” and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “South Park;”
  • MTV Networks programs “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Hills;” and
  • NHL Games of the Year, including top NHL games in their entirety for the 2007-2008 season, as well as Stanley Cup Classics, a five-game bundle of great Stanley Cup Final games.

Reports that Apple was ready to launch TV programming on the iTunes Store Canada were first reported late Monday by ArsTechnica.

22 Comments

imat 18 Years · 216 comments

Seems the right kind of deal for Apple... Go alternative. Leave the big players and make small deals with big country wide operators in other countries. That will stengthen iTunes video enough to make NBC and the others think about coming back to the table.I have the impression that, so far, we heard a lot of what NBC is doing after the stop of negotiations. Finally we start to see that Apple isn't sleeping either. They go to Canada, grab good contracts for interesting shows and there you have it.

Interesting strategy and intersting turn of events. I hope the companies will sit down together in the future and work out a deal so that the sales of video on iTunes can increase like they should.

Of course having HD programming and selling it in some other countries (Switzerland, where we make the "one hundred dollar bill iPod Touch stands" cough cough) would be BETTER, at least from my perspective.

waytogobuddy 21 Years · 191 comments

FUUUUUUUU---inaly....

Edit: 1.99 for a classic 2 hours of NHL. Great deal. Go! Oilers! Go! Edit Edit: They have the Philly 57 feed rather than CBC? hmm....

stuhowe 18 Years · 16 comments

A nice little selection to start with. I expect there is plenty more to come. Will be interesting to see in CTV adds shows they license from US Networks down the road and if Global joins up and offers same. I would hope to see more NHL classics eventually as well. Nice start and a welcome step for us up here. Movies will hopefully follow soon and one can see the little pieces being put in place ahead of the iPhone's imminent announcement.

Stu

potterhead4 18 Years · 59 comments

Wow, three posts in and no complaint about the missing Canadian iPhone...a new world record!

restalot 18 Years · 77 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by potterhead4

Wow, three posts in and no complaint about the missing Canadian iPhone...a new world record!

I let my tag do the complaining...

Can anyone in the US confirm if the Canadian shows (e.g. Corner Gas) are available to US iTunes customers? I still think this is a way for iTunes to get new content in the US during a writers strike.