Microsoft Corp. said late Monday it will now sell TV shows, including popular NBC series, on the Zune Marketplace, a move that brings its selection of substance for the digital media player a step closer to what Apple Inc.’s iTunes offers for Apple’s much more popular iPod.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft said it plus planned to send out software updates overnight that add new features to the Zune devices and the PC software used to buy and manage digital subject matter.

Microsoft ventured into downloadable video sales for Zunes last October when it released its second-generation players and software, but the composition was limited to music videos.

Starting Tuesday, Microsoft will sell episodes of TV shows including Comedy Central’s South Park and Sci-Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica for $1.99 each.

In a small victory by Apple, Microsoft said the Zune Marketplace will additionally carry NBC shows including The Office and Heroes. NBC Universal has said it pulled its shows from iTunes

by Apple’s unwillingness to set different prices for TV shows.

Microsoft spokesman Jason Reindorp said flexible pricing is within the scope of its agreement with NBC, but that there are no concrete plans.

The software maker still has a lot of work to do to catch Apple. Since the first Zune went on sale in November 2006, the software maker has sold “just north of 2 million” of the devices, Reindorp said. Apple sold 10.6 million iPods in the first three months of 2008 alone.

But the Zune offers some capabilities the iPod doesn’t. One Microsoft is betting on is its Zune Pass subscription service, which gives users access to every song in the catalog for $14.99 per month.

Reindorp said TV shows aren’t available as part of the subscription service yet, but that Microsoft is looking that year at making Zune Pass less expensive or including more substance in…

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