Right, Apple is the problem:
NBC Universal topper Jeff Zucker warned Monday that new digital business models are turning media revenues “from dollars into pennies” and revealed that NBC U booked just $15 million in revenue during the last year of its deal with Apple’s iTunes.
…“Apple sold millions of dollars worth of hardware off the back of our content, and made a lot of money,” Zucker said. “They did not want to share in what they were making off the hardware or allow us to adjust pricing.”
So many points. Without Apple’s hardware, NBC likely would’ve made significantly less than the small revenue stream it saw.
Spare the story of oppresion, too. I doubt seriously anyone from Apple held a gun to Zucker’s head and demanded its content. NBC had to mutually agree with Apple for Apple to offer the video.
NBC seems to have expected an ability to adjust prices upward after customers became comfortable with downloading legal video. But in its woe-is-me tale of how Apple isn’t being fair, NBC also tries to discredit Apple by saying that the product that customers will pay 50% more than they’re now willing to pay didn’t sell well. Which is it?
Link via Wired.