Fox Trots out Free Shows on iTunes, Amazon

The network online-TV shuffle continues, this time with Fox offering free downloads of some of its season premieres—sans commercials.

CNET News.com reports that episodes of such shows as "Prison Break," "Back To You," "Ti'l Death," and "K-Ville" are now free on iTunes (and if you check out Amazon Unbox, you'll find them there, too), and the episodes in question are refreshingly commercial-free, as opposed to the shows on the AOL-powered ABC streaming site and the just-launched NBC Direct. Fox execs say they're trying hook viewers with a few free episodes so that they'll pay for more later, or (gasp) watch the actual, commercial-laden broadcasts.

It's yet another stab at an online strategy for the big TV networks, although Fox reps insist that they're not "fumbling around." That said, I'll give Fox credit for offering the free shows on both iPod- and Windows-friendly formats, and for not forcing us to watch the ads.

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Fox strikes deal for free shows on iTunes [CNET News.com]