• by Wayne Friedman , November 18, 2005

Leaving no stone unturned in the world of alternative windows for TV programming, now NBC Universal has struck a deal with Wurld Media, a peer-to-peer computer/Internet service.

Wurld Media's legal peer-to-peer service, Peer Impact, would offer up to 75 to 100 NBC Universal movie titles, commercial-free, for rental on a 24-hour basis such as "Ray," "The Motorcycle Diaries," "Meet the Fockers," and "The Bourne Supremacy," as well as upcoming premieres of "The Skeleton Key," "Cinderella Man," and "The Forty Year Old Virgin."

NBC is the first movie studio to strike a deal with Wurld Media, and represents the company's efforts to offer a legal alternative to digital piracy. "This agreement is a significant step forward in our goal to capitalize on the myriad possibilities of new digital-media services, in a way that allows us to safeguard our content from illegal distribution," said Bob Wright, chairman and CEO of NBC Universal, in a press release.

Other NBC Universal entertainment will include TV specials from the company's library of syndicated-based shows--"Jerry Springer: Uncensored," and its "5th Wheel" and "Blind Date" franchises.

Peer-to-peer employs its users' computers as a storage area for its entertainment. With Peer Impact, users can earn Peer Cash for their participation in distributing videos on the network, and for recommending video purchases to others. Its members essentially act as "paid redistributors" of legal content, says the company.

In the past few weeks, all major media companies have struck major TV and entertainment deals with alternative video screens, using the Internet and on-demand services, and/or DVR devices. NBC struck an agreement with DirecTV's new DVR machine, for which users pay a fee for advertising-free content.