HBO shows arrive on iTunes starting at $1.99 an episode

Confirming unofficial reports earlier this week, HBO and Apple on Tuesday formally announced that television programming from HBO is now available for purchase and download on the iTunes Store at prices between $1.99 and $2.99 an episode.

Among the offerings are Emmy Award-winning shows "The Sopranos," "Sex and the City," "Deadwood" and "Rome," as well as the critically acclaimed hits "Flight of the Conchords" and "The Wire."

"We're thrilled to bring this incredible lineup of programming from HBO to the iTunes Store," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. "These are some of the most talked about television shows ever, as well as some of the most requested by our customers."

HBO shows purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store can be viewed on a Mac or PC, iPod nano with video, iPod classic, iPod touch, fifth generation iPod, iPhone or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV. "Sex and the City," "The Wire" and "Flight of the Conchords" are priced at $1.99 per episode, and "The Sopranos," "Deadwood" and "Rome" are priced at $2.99 per episode.

iTunes customers can also choose to purchase entire seasons of their favorite programs, and in preparation of the May 30 premier of the HBO film "Sex and the City: The Movie," fans can choose any or all 94 episodes from the entire six seasons of the program.

In addition to being the world's largest online music store, the iTunes Store is also the world's most popular online TV store with a catalog of over 800 shows (over 20,000 episodes). To date, the service has sold over 150 million TV episodes.