MTV Networks, Oxygen Begin Offering Programming on iTunes

MTV Networks has begun offering programs from its MTV, MTV2, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and The N channels for purchase and download on Apple's iTunes Music Store. MTV Networks shows now available for download to video iPods include "Punk'd," "South Park," "Dora the Explorer" (note: the latter is the first preschool program to be offered on iTunes), "SpongeBob SquarePants," "Laguna Beach," "Stand-Up" (note: the latter is iTunes' first stand-up comedy program), "Drawn Together" (note: to promote the availability of Comedy Central programs on iTunes, an episode of the channel's satirical animated show, "Drawn Together," was offered on the service free of charge three days in advance of its linear TV premiere), "Laguna Beach" and "Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Gauntlet 2" (note: the latter two shows are the first reality-based titles to be offered on iTunes). The shows are priced at $1.99 each. "The iTunes Music Store provides an innovative way for us to get our wide range of programming to our viewers," MTV Networks' chief digital officer, Jason Hirschhorn, said in a prepared statement. "iTunes allows us to connect our content to even more audiences. We're committed to having our programming on multiple platforms as our audience's media consumption behavior evolves."

In related news: Oxygen, a cable/satellite channel targeted at women, has begun offering free, commercial-free video podcasts, based on its original series, "Campus Ladies" (an improvisational comedy about two middle-aged housewives who go back to university) and "Snapped" (a true-crime series focusing on women accused of murder), on iTunes. 10 10-minute Campus Ladies "featurettes" and three 8-minute Snapped "featurettes" have been available for download on the service since February 1st.

(Note: this article was published in the February 6th issue of the InteractiveTV Today [itvt] email newsletter.)

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