With yesterday’s announcement that retail giant HMV will be entering administration and potentially shutting up shop for good, the apparent cause of the retail chain’s demise has been repeatedly noted to be online streaming and the digital age.
Well, Apple seems to be keen to slam the nails in the coffin of highstreet store by sealing a deal to offer the latest series of the hugely popular Downton Abbey via its iTunes Store for our cousins in the US.
The hit BBC series finished airing in the UK a month ago but our American cousins are only just getting the latest series now. The season premiered on January 6th and the USA is going crazy for the British period drama right now.
Apple will be offering customers the chance to buy a Downton Abbey Season Pass for season 3 through iTunes, which will result in users getting access to the final three episodes on January 29th – well before they are aired in the US on its carried channel PBS.
The iTunes Season Pass will set you back $19.99 but fans will get the full unedited UK versions of the final three episodes that we were able to enjoy in the UK, thanks to the BBC’s no adverts policy. The finale of Downton Abbey is set to air in the US on February 17th, so die-hard US fans will possibly be chomping at the bit to get the final episodes (legally) before everyone else.
On Sunday Downton Abbey triumphed at the annual Golden Globe awards with nominations in several TV categories and wins for Dame Maggie Smith, who won the Golden Globe for Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made For Television.
The move once again signals a change towards the ever expanding digital entertainment distribution system that in the coming years will completely change and revolutionise the way we watch, receive and buy our entertainment.