NBC Universal is ending its iTunes support, meaning no more "Heroes," "The Office" or "To Catch a Predator" in the iTunes store after December, when the current contract expires. What makes the rift somewhat serious for Apple is that NBC is iTunes' biggest video supplier, pulling in about 40 percent of downloads. On top of that, it could spur a mini-revolt among other media companies like CBS and News Corp., whose contracts are also coming due.

The issue seems to be the same old, same old: NBC wants to bump prices and complicate the packaging/pricing structure, while Apple ostensibly wants to keep things the way they are: simple.

More than likely, NBC's going to pull a Universal music: no long term contract, but short-term sales agreements to keep their content up. That way they can still make money while (maybe) maintaining some leverage for negotiation. There's still a few months left, so it's possible they'll come to an agreement, but greed makes for some strong fences. [NYT]

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