Prediction: 'Heroes' on iTunes ... for $2.99

December 21, 2007 NBC Uni wants higher price points and a percentage of the iPods Apple sells in part on the back of NBC Uni programming, as well as additional piracy protection. The rationale: NBC Uni programming accounted for 30% of iTunes' video sales, but that generated just $15 million for the conglom. NBC has improved its negotiation legerage by offering alternative platforms for its programming, from its own NBC.com to such third parties as Amazon's Unbox and Hulu, its partnership with News Corp. No single solution has the clout of iTunes, but taken all together, there soon could be enough market share to cause Apple to look over its shoulder.

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