Leonard Roberts

Heroes land at iTunes

NBC promotes new sci-fi show with free download at Apple store and Nissan references in scripts.

NBC has announced it will make an exclusive free download of new fall series Heroes available on iTunes beginning September 1. The move is part of a cross-promotional push the network is doing for the show involving Nissan Motors, Apple, and National CineMedia.

To access the free Heroes material, moviegoers at AMC, Cinemark, and Regal theaters will receive special cards with pin numbers that let them enter a special Heroes preview section on iTunes. The card holders will be able to download the free pilot of Heroes plus behind-the-scenes footage and previews of other NBC series.

Additionally, the on-air of Heroes will be sponsored by Nissan Motors and broadcast with limited commercial interruptions. In return, NBC says it will "find new ways to incorporate the products into scripts organically."

"We have an unusual opportunity to team with several excellent corporate partners to let moviegoers be the first to experience this daring new series with its own theatrical feel to it," said John Miller, chief marketing officer of NBC Universal. "We want to generate buzz across a variety of platforms long before Heroes ever airs on NBC."

Heroes tells the story of ordinary people across the world who believe they have super powers.