Los Angeles - Apple (NASD: AAPL) is close to making deals with most of the major movie studios that will see their films put up for sale at the company's iTunes Store, BusinessWeek reports. While the Financial Times previously reported that Apple had signed a deal with 20th Century Fox (NYSE: NWS) to offer downloadable movie rentals, sources told BusinessWeek that Apple is close to deals for rentals and/or sales with Warner Bros. (NYSE: TWX), Paramount (NYSE: VIA) and Lionsgate.

Universal (NYSE: GE), which is also in a dispute with Apple over TV show sales on iTunes, is the only major studio not involved in the discussions.

Apple has purportedly agreed to pay the studios a fee closer to the $17 they get from DVD sales at Wal-Mart and other physical retailers, while the studios are now more willing to allow download sales closer to DVD release dates.

Sources also told BusinessWeek that 24-hour movie rentals on iTunes will cost $3.99.

Apple, which has sold around 2 million movies on iTunes to date, would likely benefit from the deal through increased sales of its Apple TV and iPod product lines.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/1wwwj (BusinessWeek)