In another token of the corporation’s respect for the ‘net, they have decided to end a feud with Apple over their shows being offered through the iTunes store. Initially, Apple would not let NBCU charge the prices they wanted to for some episodes of certain shows, exceeding the $1.99 iTunes limit, but they have reached an agreement that will put NBCU programming back in the catalog.

NBCU President and CEO Jeff Zucker knows that his company was missing out on some money by not offering iTunes downloads. Even though much of the content is available for free streaming via Hulu, there are still going to be plenty of people downloading shows for keeps. "And now, by offering consumers a variety of new options, our fans have even more ways to enjoy our content," he says.

The deal is certainly good for Apple as well as NBCU has some pretty big hits like "The Office" and "Battlestar Galactica" to name a couple. "We are thrilled that NBC is back on iTunes in time for the Fall TV season," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. "NBC has some of TV’s most popular shows and now customers can purchase and download them from iTunes in SD or stunning HD."

Those HD shows will cost $2.99 by the way, which is a higher price than Apple initially would have preferred, and likely factored into NBCU’s descision to go back to iTunes. NBCU will be offering old shows for as little as $0.99 though. So if you are craving some Sonny Crockett or Bosco Baracus adventures, you won’t have to break your bank. Of course you could just go to Hulu and watch some for free.

Sony Out, iTunes In

Sony’s not been entirely forsaken – users can still find their way to its offerings.  But, as Martyn Williams, a reporter for the IDG News Service, writes, “The partnership means that visitors to the Yahoo Music pages now see a prominent link to iTunes in the menu bar and one-click access to the download service.  Until Thursday, Yahoo Japan had relied solely on Mora, a download service run by the Sony-affiliated LabelGate, for music downloads.”

As for how much money may have changed hands, nobody’s talking, but Masahiro Inoue, the president of Yahoo Japan, was willing to describe the deal in general terms.  “I’m very happy that, thanks to the cooperation with iTunes, users of Yahoo Japan will be able to access the iTunes store directly,” he stated.  “We will provide broader content and functions through our services that have attracted many users.”

The AFP, which carried Inoue’s statement, then hinted at the arrangement’s implications; as most of you probably know, the iPod isn’t a uniquely American phenomenon.  “Apple has sold more than 100 million iPods since introducing them in 2001 and the devices command about 75 percent of the global MP3 player market,” the AFP article reveals.

Looks like Yahoo Japan made a good decision in switching to the iTunes Store, though Sony and Mora probably wouldn’t agree.