MTV Urge - the music channel's most recent foray into the world of downloading and a Microsoft-powered attempt to take on iTunes - is no more. Instead MTV US are throwing their energies into a new partnership with Real's Rhapsody service, which will relaunch as Rhapsody America, and will be plugged to the skies via the MTV empire. A mobile extension will also be offered via a partnership with Verizon Wireless.
MTV's US download platform never really caught on, despite plugging via MTV's other platforms. The music channel also became disillusioned with its partnership with Microsoft after the computer firm started to put all its energies into its Zune player, which, as previously reported, was bizarrely incompatible with all other Microsoft based download systems.
Commenting on the new alliance with Real and Verizon, MTV Networks Music President Van Toffler said this week: "The collaboration of these three companies is like a perfect storm". Whether it's enough of a storm to take on Apple remains to be seen.