News Corp. finally joined the iTunes menu Tuesday with a licensing deal to make "24," "Prison Break," "The Shield" and other hits available on Apple's download-on-demand online service.

The deal includes a total of 16 series, including shows from Fox Broadcasting Co. and FX as well as library titles from the 20th Century Fox TV production unit, including cult-fave drama "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the short-lived sci-fi drama "Firefly" and the 1960s vintage series "Lost in Space." Apple said it was largest single TV show licensing pact it has completed since it began offering TV shows on iTunes in October with its groundbreaking deal with the Walt Disney Co.

"As this partnership demonstrates, we're committed to delivering our content to consumers in as many ways as possible," Fox Digital Media president Peter Levinsohn said.

There had been speculation that News Corp. would eschew the iTunes platform in favor of launching its own film- and TV-related download service in the wake of its acquisition of the parent company of the heavily trafficked social networking site MySpace.com. News Corp.'s deal with Apples adheres to the standard iTunes terms, with each episode priced at $1.99.

As part of the launch of News Corp.-owned programs on iTunes, the service will carry a range of programs from the Speed and Fuel action-sports networks.