• by Emily Burg , March 15, 2007

NBC Universal and MobiTV have struck a deal that will put "Must See TV" in the palm of consumers' hands.

The companies, which previously worked together to launch CNBC and MSNBC on the MobiTV service in 2003, will make hit shows from NBC Universal's content library available to mobile users--a first in the U.S.

The companies have priced each episode at $1.99, and will make it available for 24 hours. However, wireless carriers are expected to tack on additional charges for viewing the content, either as part of airtime usage or as part of video packages, like Verizon's V CAST or Sprint's Power Vision.

For $9.99 a month, MobiTV currently streams TV shows to the phones of AT&T (formerly Cingular), Sprint Nextel and Alltel.

Content playback will be limited. Users will not be able to store the content on their mobile handsets, the same way they would be able to with downloaded TV shows they purchase from iTunes and view on their iPods. Only some phones will allow viewers to pause and resume viewing.

Consumers will be able to watch NBC hits such as "The Office" and "Heroes" on-demand on their mobile phones, as well as content from Bravo, SCI-FI Channel, and USA Network beginning in the second quarter of 2007.

NBC Universal's Telemundo will offer full-length episodes of telenovelas, and content will also be available from youth-oriented Latino channel mun2.

The companies also will offer select full-length, prime-time TV content from NBC Universal's channels for download on five new ad-supported channels.

In addition, some ad-supported NBC U shows will be available on-demand at no extra cost as part of the baseline MobiTV subscription channel package, including NBC's "Friday Night Lights" and Bravo's "Work Out" reality series. NBC also will deliver a live linear feed of its CNBC programming online via MobiTV's online television service as part of a subscription service to broadband subscribers.

NBC already provides live simulcast news programming from NBC, CNBC and MSNBC via two channels under a separate deal with Qualcomm's MediaFLO USA division. Verizon Wireless sells its V CAST Mobile TV live television service, provided by MediaFLO, in 20 markets. Plans are underway for AT&T to roll out its version later this year.

The announcement comes a week after an NBC Universal exec said at a conference in Los Angeles that NBC plans to launch a digital download store where customers can purchase "Saturday Night Live" clips and an entire season's worth of episodes of hit shows to compete with iTunes.

The download section would reside in the NBC store at NBC.com, where customers currently can purchase DVDs, licensed apparel, toys and accessories. At microsites on NBC.com, visitors already can view full episodes of many TV shows online, as well as producer's cuts and outtakes, in addition to extras such as downloadable ringtones and wallpaper.

MobiTV started streaming video to phones in 2003, and now has more than 2 million subscribers to its service in the United Kingdom, North and South America.

Its partners include Sprint Nextel and AT&T's Cingular Wireless, as well as the leading cable operators: Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable and Advance/Newhouse Communications, which participates in the wireless joint venture with Sprint.