Apple has managed to score a deal with the HBO cable network to sell its programs on its iTunes store.

The television companies have been getting angry about Apple’s high-handed and cavalier attitude in such negotiations, with some storming out because they did not want to sell their products at the price Apple said they should.

Apple claims that it has resisted offering music or television shows at different prices for the sake of simplicity for consumers. But studio and music company executives have pushed for variable pricing, such as the ability to sell some content at lower prices and new releases at higher prices, which they believe would improve sales from its older catalogs.

This latest deal indicates that there is some mellowing from the IT industry’s answer to Heaven’s Gate, and HBO has managed to negotiate some flexible pricing deals. Some HBO shows are likely to be sold at the standard price of $1.99 per episode or higher. HBO is the home of "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City" and it is the first time they have tried to sell shows by download.