Guest Author - Alice Rienzo
If you haven't already heard, in August 2006, NBC's Passions goes went where no other daytime drama has gone before: it is the first soap opera to be available for viewing on iTunes.
Fans have the option of downloading episodes of Passions via Apple's iTunes music and video store. Each episode of the series costs $1.99. However, fans are able to purchase a "value pack" of Passions episodes. For $9.99 fans can have immediate access to fifteen consecutive episodes as those episodes become available. Episodes will be made available for download the day the show airs on NBC.
Passions' push to the new digital media format is part of a growing trend by the networks to expand the boundary of daytime's television-only format. They are attempting to reach a wider, younger and more hip audience. People under the age of 30 are more likely to view television via their iPod or computer when it is convenient for them.
Previously, the Soap City web site offered downloadable episodes of several daytime drama series. For a per-episode fee or special monthly rate, fans were able to download episodes of Days of our Lives. However, the web site may have been a little bit ahead of its time - sadly, the download service abruptly ended in early 2005.
Fans have no reason to be sad, though, because Days of our Lives is also being offered on iTunes in the same fashion as Passions. According to the deal between Sony, Days and Apple's iTunes, the new offerings on iTunes began on June 11th and new episodes of DAYS will be made available for download the day after the episode was broadcast. For example, Wednesday's show will be available for download on Thursday. Each download costs $1.99, or fans can purchase a special "multi-pass" for $9.99 that will allow them to download 20 episodes - or about one month's worth of shows. The multi-pass brings the per-episode cost down to about $0.50. In addition, executives have entered into discussions about offering bonus and deleted scenes. There has not been an official confirmation as of yet.
For fans who are not yet users of the iTunes service, the software can be downloaded for free at www.itunes.com.
