ArchivesIdol has earned $2 billion worldwide; FOX earned $200 million in two seasons.
The Idol franchise has earned “more than $2 billion worldwide,” the LA Times reports. But the show almost didn’t happen in the US; despite it’s popularity in the UK, US networks ignored it. Hysterically, “ABC executives refused to even meet with” show representatives, which easily solidifies ABC as the network with the stupidest executives (not that we needed more evidence). The show only came to FOX after News Corp. chair Rupert Murdoch’s daughter, who lives in Britain, told him about the show, and he gave FOX the budget to buy the rights. For American Idol 3, “Fox ordered more than 40 episodes”; originally, before buying the rights and getting money from Murdoch, FOX proposed to do only six. The story also reveals the price of ads (“as much as $500,000” 30 seconds) and the amount that sponsors pay to be featured on the show ($20 million for Coke, Ford, and AT&T Wireless; $10 million for the others). FOX made $200 million in profit from the first two seasons, plus $45 million from merchandise, which includes 7 million copies of Idol-related records.
American Idol 3
Idol has earned $2 billion worldwide; FOX earned $200 million in two seasons.
link to this story + posted Jan. 13, 2004 at 8:00 AM by Andy Dehnart
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