Starz, IFC, Manga Entertainment content arriving on iTunes

The first offerings from Starz include two half-hour sitcoms, Hollywood Residential and Head Case, as well as four Anime favorites from Manga Entertainment : Tokko, Noein, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Tactics.

“I think they’re probably the best in episodic television,” Starz vice president Marc DeBevoise said of Apple during a panel on Monday. “Netflix is big in subscription, other people VOD.”

DeBevoise also hinted that his firm's vast catalog of fitness content, for which it is the largest seller, could be next to turn up on iTunes. “We have not even explored what to do with that digitally, to make as much money as we make on DVD and selling in the supermarket," he said.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Media-owned IFC on Tuesday also launched its first television content on the Apple download service. Initially, three series will be available, including The Whitest Kids U'Know, The Henry Rollins Show, and The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman.

The US version of the iTunes store now features over 600 television shows from 64 different television networks.