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Sci-Fi Channel, TV Guide team up for iTunes giveaway
TV Guide and the Sci-Fi Channel announced today that they are giving away 1.4 million downloads of an episode of Battlestar Galactica from the iTunes. Each newsstand copy of the March 6th issue of the magazine, which is on sale today, has a unique 12-digit code on the cover that readers can enter on the iTunes store to receive their free download.
“We’re thrilled to be teaming up with both Sci Fi Channel and iTunes on this exciting initiative,” said Ian Birch, editor-in-chief of TV Guide. “Our magazine is a portal to the ever-changing world of television. Now more than ever, consumers are turning to iTunes for access to their favorite TV programs, and Battlestar Galactica is an enormously popular show. All this makes this partnership a perfect fit for us—but more importantly, for the readers of TV Guide.”
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1
And why aren’t people going to just copy the code off the racks at the store without buying the magazine?
Posted by stark23x on March 2, 2006 at 2:30 PM (PDT)
2
exactly.
Posted by Josh on March 2, 2006 at 3:41 PM (PDT)
3
I assume they will shrink wrap it…
Posted by anthony on March 2, 2006 at 4:11 PM (PDT)
4
spend like $4 to get a free $1.99 download?
Posted by smiling skull on March 2, 2006 at 5:57 PM (PDT)
5
Well no, the point is that people who are getting the magazine anyway will get that download as a bonus. As you said, it would be pretty stupid to buy the magazine just for the download, now wouldn’t it?
Posted by M. le Pod on March 2, 2006 at 6:12 PM (PDT)
6
best. show. ever.
Posted by m.sherman on March 2, 2006 at 7:57 PM (PDT)
7
M. le Pod, notice that the article refers to newsstand copies, not subscriptions. There is a difference.
Posted by Cad on March 3, 2006 at 5:30 AM (PDT)
8
Cad,
M. le Pod didn’t say anything about subscriptions (although I don’t think we can yet say for sure whether or not TVG subscribers will get a code). Plenty of people buy it off the newsstands.
Besides, we all know that TV Guide isn’t doing this to be altruistic. They hope that the code will be enough incentive for non-TV Guide readers to give it a try. Remember, you aren’t just getting a free download with the magazine. You’re also getting the magazine, for whatever that’s worth.
Posted by Jason Martin on March 3, 2006 at 6:28 AM (PDT)
9
A couple of other things:
1. The magazine is $1.99, so if you buy it off the newsstands, you’re buying a magazine and getting the episode for free or vice versa.
2. My mom takes TV Guide, and I called her for the code this morning because she’ll never use it. I tried to use it just now, and it wouldn’t work. When I put the code it, it gives me an error message. The weird part is that it now shows up in my purchase history.
Posted by Jason Martin on March 3, 2006 at 12:52 PM (PDT)
10
Last comment from me on this, I promise.
I was able to get the BSG download by using the “Check for Purchases” feature of iTunes. It began downloading immediately. I didn’t get to choose the particular episode (since I don’t watch the show regularly, I was hoping to get an early episode). Rather, the latest episode (appropriately titled “Downloaded”) began downloading. I guess that could prevent people from ripping them off for more than $1.99.
Posted by Jason Martin on March 3, 2006 at 1:26 PM (PDT)
11
“...the article refers to newsstand copies, not subscriptions. There is a difference.”
No I know—I didn’t mention subscriptions. By “people who are getting the magazine anyway” I meant people who will be buying newsstand copies just because they want TV Guide anyway, not people who get subscriptions.
Posted by M. le Pod on March 3, 2006 at 9:23 PM (PDT)