Well here it is, a major leap for Apple. Today they introduced a form of subscription service that they are calling Mulit-pass.
"iTunes is launching the service in partnership with Viacom Inc.'s Comedy Central Network, which is rolling out "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" on the service.
The subscription allows users to buy 16 episodes for just $9.99. Four episodes of the show air a week and the shows will be available for download shortly after being aired.
Right now this just looks like a bulk buy discount but it could shape up to be a major step in the right direction.