Microsoft Corp. has announced that its digital entertainment brand, Zune, is about to expand beyond music. The Zune device and online network will now include downloads of popular television shows in the content offered for its small screen MP3 players. As well as shows from Comedy Central, MTV, NBC Universal, and Nickelodeon, Zune will include some anime series from FUNimation Entertainment and Starz (which includes Manga Entertainment).

Only a few programs have been announced thus far, as Microsoft struggles to catch up to the wide variety of entertainment offered by its rival, iTunes. But three anime series were included in the new content mentioned in the initial announcement: FUNimation's Afro Samurai and Witchblade, and Starz' Ghost in the Shell.

Zune will have access to episodes the day after they air on TV, similar to the arrangements other retailers such as Amazon have made.

To begin with, the television programs will each cost 160 Microsoft Points per episode, or about US $1.99 each. But unlike Apple and its iTunes community, Microsoft plans to allow distributors a lot of control of the pricing on their episodes. This could mean that as more content becomes available, viewers could end up paying a lot more for episodes of certain programs, and less for others.

Microsoft expects to arrange deals with other distributors eventually, and movie downloads may also be part of the Zune experience in the future.