Apple today announced that television programming from Australia’s top networks including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Seven Network and Nine Network, along with US-produced programs from The Walt Disney Company’s ABC Studios, Disney Channel and MTV Networks, is now available on the iTunes Store in Australia. iTunes customers can choose from a wide range of television shows including the Logie Award-winning “Summer Heights High” and “McLeod’s Daughters,” the top-rated drama “Sea Patrol,” as well as favorites from the US including “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Hills.”
“We’re thrilled to bring television programming to the iTunes Store in Australia,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes, in the press release. “We’re off to a great start with shows from Australia’s top networks combined with favorites from the US, which customers in Australia will love being able to watch on their computer, iPod or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.”
MacDailyNews Take: Nobody on this planet has ever been, nor will they ever be, more thrilled than Eddy. Seriously, he’s thrilled at least once per week on average; which is amazing – best Groucho voice – just ask anyone who’s been married for over a year. On top of that, Eddy is often simultaneously “stunned” as well. He’s like, really, really excited and happy, but you wouldn’t know it, since he’s in a catatonic stupor. (Note to Apple press release writers: strike the words “thrill” and “stun” and all of their variations from your vocabulary. Mac OS X has a built-in thesaurus. Use it.)
Television shows are priced at AUS$2.99 per episode on the iTunes Store in Australia. Television shows now available are:
• Disney-owned production company ABC Studios programs airing on Seven Network including “Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost” and “Scrubs;”
Australian Broadcasting Corporation programs “Summer Heights High,” “We Can Be Heroes,” “Double the Fist,” “Foreign Correspondent Postcards,” “Sleek Geeks” and “Surfing the Menu;”
• Disney Channel’s kid and tween sensation “Hannah Montana,” “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” and “Cory in the House;”
• Nine Network programs “Canal Road,” “McLeod’s Daughters,” “Sea Patrol” and “Urban Magic;” and
• MTV Networks’ “Blue’s Clues,” “The Hills,” “Laguna Beach,” “My Super Sweet Sixteen,” “South Park” and “Pimp My Ride.”
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and the ability to turn previously purchased songs into completed albums at a reduced price, the iTunes Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.
iTunes 7.6 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Store and is available as a free download from www.itunes.com/au. Purchase and download of songs and videos from the iTunes Store requires a valid credit card from a financial institution in the country of purchase. Television shows are available in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France and Australia, and video availability varies by country. TV shows from the iTunes Store can be viewed on a Mac or PC, iPod nano with video, fifth generation iPod, iPod classic, iPod touch or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.
I’m less than thrilled. It’s a start at least, but where are all the movies? Other online movie sites in Australia such as Bigpond, have been up and running for some time. Apple may have a hard time hauling in these sites in Australia and other markets if it gives them too big a lead. First-too-market often becomes entrenched market leader – Apple needs to train it’s firepower on global distribution of movies through iTunes fast, or risk playing on the margins for movie distribution, except in the US.
Welcome to the 21 century, mates.
More content will follow, and quickly.
Apple always starts out slow to get the party started…..
If only they had “Ten Town” and Corey Worthington. Cor!
Finally, finally, someone other than me says they are sick and tired of the fakey, 90’s style bullshit press releases Apple puts out.
Get real … cut the ‘we are thrilled’ crap and all forms of it, and for that matter, the ‘stunned’ nonsense, and the ‘excited’ verbage, too.
itunes perfectly safe from littlepond threats.
Yes, need get iTunes content act together, but poor helstra has no idea customer service.
helstra service very similar MS experience. Treats customers with contempt.
Bring on the competition I say.
HAHHAHAHA HELSTRA!
Yeah, Eddy should really say, “We’re super enthused to bring you Apple TV.”
Relax Alexo, BigPond might be first, but I doubt it’s that popular. iTunes will easily overtake it (it has the iPhone, iPod and AppleTV on its side, remember?)
Where are the back-cattledog movies? I can get the new ones in Blockbuster or EyeTV?
[Using the Simpsons Comic Book Guy Voice]
Best MDN Take EVER!
While here in canada we have nothing but crap for tv shows Thank god for Bittorrent
“You little beauty”.
Sorry, but the obligatory Aussie colloquialism was in order for our moment in the sun.
Thank you Apple, at last, Aussie TV content to go alongside our fanf**k’ntastic music content, as it’s been as dry as a Nun’s nasty here … unless one stooped to Helstra’s muddypuddle offerings, which are about the same price at three bucks a pop.
Hopefully the iTunes store content will gain traction and expand quickly to include a library of movies to buy or rent.
AUS$2.99 for television content sounds fair, although the initial offerings are a bit lame, it’s a great start, I can’t wait for ripper shows like the ABC’s (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) The Chaser’s war on everything A very cutting, satirical show, not popular with the crusaders of incumbent political parties … hello you heffalumps.
[The Chaser team delight in offending and challenging Aussie sensibilities, just as much as they do the American ones, see the Youtube, Wanker number plates everyones is fair game to these guys – It’s war on everything and everyone! … So where is the Taj Mahal exactly?] Lookup the APEC arrests.
TowerTone – Fair suck of the sav’ mate, don’t be a dag, we were in the 21st Century way before you guys … according to GMT, Zulu and Coordinated Universal Time – however those bogan sheepshaggers in NZ beat us, anyway next week, here in Sydney, we get running water and by end of the year they promise to make it hot as well
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Oh yeah! thrilled indeed, that MDN take was priceless.