In the latest instalment in the battle of the gaming networks, Sony has announced that it has signed a deal to make NBC content available to PlayStation Network users. The news comes only a month after a similar deal was struck between NBC and Microsoft for the Xbox 360, and suggests that the battle to provide more and better content is intensifying.

Films from Universal Studios and programmes from NBC, such as Heroes, will now be available on the network for users of the PlayStation 3 and PSP to download. Films will be available in high definition, and the programmes will be made available to download the day after they have been aired on TV, meaning fans will not have to wait around to get hold of them. Prices will start at about $5 (£3), and this is expected to increase the popularity of the network.

According to Sony, there are now 1,300 films and 4,500 TV episodes in total to download from the network, including content from Paramount, Fox, MGM and Disney. It also said that it now has 20 million accounts on the network compared to 17 million for the Xbox.

The head of Universal’s home entertainment, Craig Kornblau, said that the “home entertainment experience continues to evolve”, and that people are “increasingly looking for activities within the home” when it comes to spending their free time. This market represents a crossing over from the games market to other areas of home entertainment, and we could be witnessing a significant shift in how we get hold of our content.

At the moment, the NBC content is only available in the US, so those of us in the UK will have to wait.