NBC is finally deciding to follow in ABC’s footsteps by letting the latest update to its iPad app add full-length episodes to network favorites like 30 Rock and The Office. Best of all, you won’t pay a dime for the content.
Since the update, the app has received a slew of positive reviews in the App Store. It may have to do with performance improvements and bug fixes also included in the release, but that’s doubtful. The lack of full episodes was a criticism from the start, as the app previously had more 1-star reviews than anything else.
President of NBC Universal Digital Entertainment Vivi Zigler explains the reason for the delay in an interview:
“The [NBC] app has been performing well. The bugs are worked out and we felt like it was the right time to make them available in advance of the start of the fall season.”
Full episodes were always available on nbc.com, but now that it’s available on the iPad, it poses a threat to Hulu Plus. The streaming service specializes in providing TV shows from different networks online and on multiple devices for $7.99 per month. It doesn’t get more straightforward than that. Since both ABC and NBC now provide full episodes of their television shows completely free on the iPad, it gives consumers less of a motive to pay the monthly fee for Hulu Plus.
The only major network still skeptical with letting television enthusiasts watch content for free is FOX. But they might have a solution – one that isn’t in our favor. The network is currently exploring subscription options for online episodes. Perhaps it is interested in charging a small fee for access. ABC is also taking this route into consideration, which is odd considering it was the first to make all the episodes available for free.
Still, we might as well enjoy the free videos from ABC and NBC while we can.