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EXCLUSIVE & UPDATED: Obviously all those scandals affecting the UK version of his The X Factor talent show hasn’t scared away advertisers for the American version which debuts on Fox in Fall 2011. Now I’ve learned that a Cola War has kicked off. There’s a $50 million to $100 million auction going on right now between Coke and Pepsi for sponsorship of Cowell’s U.S. version of The X Factor. Coca-Cola has been a longtime sponsor of Fox’s American Idol; it got in on the ground floor for less than $10 million. That was a bargain based on ratings that were off the charts for the 12-week program, beating network promises by about 10% and capturing 23 million viewers for the closing finale. The soft drink company has one year left on its Idol contract and now Aerosmith singer and new Idol judge Steven Tyler is its poster boy. It makes sense that Coke would want to jump on The X Factor bandwagon as well. But even though I hear Coke is offering more money, my sources say Cowell et al think Pepsi would make a better fit.
Because of doubts about the show format, Pepsi passed on a multimillion-dollar sponsorship when American Idol was still an unknown in the early stages when dealmakers were trying to have more of the show’s expenses underwritten. Pepsi doesn’t want to make that mistake again. Not to mention that different sponsors would help The X Factor brand itself a new identity on Fox in the U.S. market outside of Idol‘s shadow. No matter, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp is convinced that with both a reworked Idol and transplated X Factor, Fox could have a banner 2011. Unless America is just saturated with talent contest shows. That’s not the case in Britain where Cowell’s UK version of The X Factor is enjoying its biggest season to date despite of, or because of, the constant controversies.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Sorry, folks. This show is already DOA. The networks LOVE to keep hitting the copy button when a show becomes successful until the concept is destroyed. There are so many singing and dancing talent shows on the air now that yet another one will simply be received just like another failed prime time game show (after Millionaire and Deal or No Deal) or another failed dating show (after Bachelor and Bachelorette, etal).
DOA, I tell you, DOA!
On the contrary- I think the audience will follow Cowell, and this may be Idol’s last breath. I don’t think Tyler will capture the respect/adoration of the American public the way Simon did. Judges do make a difference. I do think it was smart of them to bring in Jennifer Lopez (should have done that a few seasons back). Ultimately, though, Simon’s opinion has always been the one that matters.
You give the American public WAY too much credit.
You are correct. I only watch this British garbage until they send the rejects packing. The look on a person’s face when the when they finally start dealing with their delusions of adequacy is priceless. The “They’ll be sorry, I’m gonna be a star” followed by a 30 second cursing rant is good entertainment, the actual singing competition blows (insert your own AL or CA references here). I spent a few years in England (back in the 80s) and it was the worst “Tele” on the planet, two channels dedicated to “Championship Snooker” (Jimmy White should be Knighted) and the other two on how to make cheese in the forests from mushrooms and hedgehogs should you ever become stranded, and I had to pay taxes on that crap!!! I think it was all a conspiracy by the Queen to get my pay check back in the form of video rentals, hey but it worked.
LOL — “how to make cheese in the forests from mushrooms and hedgehogs should you ever become stranded”
What the hell kind of TV show was *that*?
p.s. Anyone else inspired to make a short noir thriller?
Beg to differ…Simon has the midas touch.
Um,no… Many Reality Shows have had stellar ratings.. i.e. The Bachelor and Bachelorette… your facts are incorrect.
I was referring to those endless copycat shows AFTER the successful ones. I guess you don’t remember all of the disasterous game and reality shows that followed the ones I mentioned. That is because they were, in fact, unmittigated disasters.
You are an idiot. XFactor is huge AROUND THE WORLD, H-U-G-E. And Simon is no dummy. So, rest assured that he will make it a sure fire hit. The one that will fail is American Idol. Ha Ha.
Cowell is done, turn out the lights Paula!
You are wrong I tell you, wrong! X factor will beat all shows for the year, including the “15 minutes are up” idol…I think your opinion is DOA! Later
i don’t get it. if you don’t like something, how dare you say it sh/go off TV. I know – just don’t watch it!
Yes you would like to say it is DOA … but nothing could be further than the truth … FOX does not make mistakes … just look at their track record.
Hollywood, I’m begging you. Enough with the talent and/or reality shows. Please, please please spend some time and effort on something else. Anything else.
And cancel The Simpsons already. That moldy old corpse should have been buried a long time ago. It’s embarrassing.
Cancel the Simpsons? You must be nuts. It’s multi-generational.
My daughter and I love it – even the old shows. It never loses
its appeal. It’s like Lucy in that respect.
old? yes. embarrassing? it’s the gold standard by which all others (South Park, Family Guy, etc…) have been judged.
Remember folks, when you are paying twice as much for that case of Coke or Pepsi than you would for Great Value or Western Family cola, that Simon Cowell thanks you for paying his mortgages.
If the price of P & C does go up, we have a choice not to purchase the products; in this case the market will respond and lower the price. As consumers, we are in control not Cowell. If people would stop consuming food products that have negative health implications, they would spend less money on health care and have more money for their own mortgage payments.
Your not really in control when go to any fast food place and its just coke or pepsi, no other choices… so how is that a freedom to chose?
The price of P&C will go up, vendors have been notified; it has nothing to do with this show. As for “people would spend less money on health care and have more money for their own mortgages” People with mortgages have health insurance and pay a modest amount for health care. The people that have the biggest health concerns because of poor eating habits are the poor that get free health care. Visit any emergency room in any big city in the U.S. and you will see lots of people getting help for free while the rest of us responsible people pay for it. If I want to eat poorly but I pay for my mortgage and my health insurance what do you care?
In what bizarro universe does Simon Cowell have a mortgage?
Coke and Pepsi have proprietary formulas. They are not commodities like Milk, or Orange Juice, etc….
the proprietary formulas are distinguished from one another chiefly by the characteristic of compound ‘P’ being disgusting and compound ‘C’ being delectable.
Guess you didn’t notice that the price of coke has gone up already. Coke products big case was always 24 cans 12oz. cans in a case. Now, they’re selling it with only 20 cans in a case at the same price.
I agree with the consumer control comment. Billions of people are supporting the millionaires. Money does not just fall from the sky (though government’s printing of it makes it seem so).
Money comes from somewhere and goes someplace. The costs of any product is what the market will bear, what people will pay for it. In the USA, we spend a tremendous amount of money on entertainment, which is often supported by commercials for products whose prices are inflated in order to pay for these same commercials.
In the meantime, we have housing and medical and financial shortages… yet there is no entertainment deficit. Perhaps one day we will see SODA advertisements in the welfare and unemployment and food bank lines as that is where people will be waiting with plenty of time on their hands.
If you want to lower the cost of Coke and Pepsi, remove the tariff supporting domestic sugar farmers. It pales in comparison to the cost of the X Factor.
Only one of them is bound to survive the 2011 season. In truth, I’m betting America is sick of talent show contests. Factor in the rest of the like such as SYTYCD, Dancing with the Stars, and now NBC’s new “Sing-Off” (a Glee-like format but without the music) to tangle with AI and XF = major overkill. Ugh.
No one ever gets tired of talent shows. You get a chance to see a great talent in the early stages of their career.
We truly are. I’m tired of turning on the T.V. and having nothing to watch but another re-hash show about rich people who noone gives a crap about.
Pepsi will score the X-factor sponsorship. They were burned with Idol, zero chance that happens again.
PEPSI…. PLEASE.
Is anyone sick of seeing this guys mug all over the place yet?
This is insane, the way millions of dollars are thrown at TV shows….and we’re in a recession????
What a idiotic statement, competition between companies do not take a rest because of a recession, in fact this is time you want the free market to stretch it’s legs and compete. The more Pepsi and Coke do so, the more money they make and the more people are employed! Study economics my friend!
Sally,
Only you, me, and your friends and family are in a “recession”. These corporate a$$hole$ are getting wealthier by the second because we continue to buy this junk.
What makes them a$$hole$? What is wrong with wealth? They’re not taking your money unless you give it to them. And the more money that flows around, the better for everyone.
What do you want them to do with the money? Give it to you?
Tonight’s Live final is heating up! It’s been a great season with amazing talent.
Pepsi is white-trash
“Pepsi is white-trash”
You think they should go with RC and Moon Pies instead?
I liked American Idol for quite a few seasons. But I have my gripes about it: a) the unnecessary and annoying audition phase (which I don’t watch). b) somehow, the judges don’t have much say in the later competition. This has resulted in the tweeny-vote making the less-talented win. Prime example: Like him or not, Adam Lambert was clearly the superior talent and showman, but the tweens came on in force and voted for the less talented, but prettier contestant. Give the judges 50% power, and the call-in vote the other 50%.
As for the American X-Factor, I actually like Simon Cowell, and will check it out. Let’s give it a chance! Especially since I’m not too excited about the upcoming season of AI without him. They should have gotten either Harry Connick or Chris Isaac. J-Lo might be ok.
Sorry for the long post.
Every good quality that Simon Cowell possess as a TV show judge is nullified by his interest as a producer. On the X-Factor UK he has completely forgotten what his USP (forthright critiques) is, he’s always babbling some crud about ‘what the voting audience want’ and then changing the elimination rules at the last minute to keep hated or poorly chosen contestants in… it’s honestly pretty dreadful to watch and I write this as someone who has liked Cowell previously.
Also, the format changes in X-Factor aren’t just superficial and copyright-avoiding – they are actively *bad*. Four judges – bad, how can judge’s eliminations work properly? Answer – they don’t. Judge’s ‘mentoring’ of contestants – also a bad idea, in the case of Cheryl Cole who cannot carry a tune in a bucket herself there is obviously no ‘mentoring’ going on, it’s the creative director of the show or something who helps the contestants decide on their songs and the pretense otherwise is simply tiresome. The so-called mentoring does however make the judges even more partial than they usually are which also makes for a bad show. As I said, Cowell is good in his role as a forthright judge on a TV show but I don’t believe for a second he is actually a gifted svengali or A&R man and his prior record sort of attests to this. He really shouldn’t be mentoring anyone. You know how on American Idol Simon would always tell the contestants that they were picking the wrong songs and what he would have picked in their place? Well, now we know what kind of songs he is capable of picking and they are always really on-the-nose and uninspired. He also throws his weight around as producer, having threatened to have one judge who didn’t toe the party line removed from the studio. That wasn’t just playful banter, it was ghastly and embarrassing. That was the exact moment when Cowell’s integrity as a judge departed this world forever. Also, there is a category to allow for Groups and it’s always undersubscribed (it seems to me that people are really only interested in seeing soloists win these shows hence the move from Popstars to Pop/American Idol in the first place.) and in something like 5 years on the air no group has ever won. 2 out of the 4 groups in this years X-Factor UK were manufactured from solo auditionees who didn’t make the grade – it’s obviously a farcical idea which should be put out of its misery. Finally, the X-Factor has all this dreadful, sad-variety show capering and dancing (and dry ice) during the performances which adds absolutely nothing and gives the proceedings a really down-market quality.
X-Factor is worse than Pop/American Idol is what I’m saying and hopefully Simon Cowell will not be enough to save it as his hubris knows no bounds. Even if Cowell did still mean what he said he isn’t capable of saying anything new anyway, each of his catty one-liners has been aired a thousand times already.
Do we need yet another lame talent/reality show? Fox, put your money into promoting incredible shows like Fringe. X-Factor U.K. is so scripted and contrived, it’s unbearable.
I agree with the first two comments. The reality show concept is smothering television and is becoming annoying. I give it about one to two more years and it will die. Sorry, Simon Cowell. Your day has come and gone with American Idol. People are just tired of all the reality shows. New ideas needed! Coke,if you are smart, you will pull out of this future fiasco. Sorry, don’t see a great hit just a Big White Elephant.
Actually, I predict X-Factor will survive while Idol crashes. Cowell was the main draw. That said, I’m sick of “reality” tv. The networks don’t even give new shows like “V” or “Flash Forward” (never watched that one btw, tired of getting burnt) a chance while they throw millions on this garbage.
I think there are a lot more people out here that “Do Like Reality Shows” than who complain here about them. It is highly rewarding to watch ordinary people, like you and me, showcase their talent. It’s an opportunity to be proud of someone perusing their dream.
I do dislike the idiots shown in the trials prior to the main show, and mostly speed through them, (DVR), but I think that both shows will be very successful..!
X Factor US will be a major hit. Am thinking the 50yr old plus auditioning and all those street bands will make the show a big hit- latest season 2
Imitation is the highest form of television
By your comments, it’s clear most of you aren’t in the TV business. Simpsons make money, so it won’t be canceled. Reality shows make money so they won’t be canceled. It’s not rocket science.
I hope Pepsi doesn’t accidently burn Simons scalp !
Just watched tonight’s finale of the UK’s X-factor from London. Say what you like – and I do – this series has drawn record audiences about 21 million tonight (out of a population of 60 million). And record ad prices. Cowell will be richer than ever.
Its much better than Idol in terms of public appeal; controversies, hype, hysteria and, notably, home town involvement. Purists will ask about the quality and public vote stacking, but it still produces a genuine international talent in the No.2 selection. She is Rebecca Ferguson, with the speaking voice of a shy girl from Liverpool and the singing voice of Aretha Franklin.
You’ll love her!!!
Bet you’ll go for X-Factor in the US as we did here.
Wether Coke gets this deal or not it doesn’t matter, Coke just keeps kicking pepsi’s ass all over the world where it matters.
There’s a reason m ost fast food restaurants, movie houses etc etc carry Coke
Actually they have contracts with most food chains and movie houses which is why they are the #1 brand, when you look at what shoppers by when they have a choice, most buy Pepsi.
The Simpsons doesn’t make as much money as it once did. They even had to shorten the show so they could squeeze in more commercials. Reality shows make money because they are much cheaper to produce than other shows. But you’re right, this crap sure isn’t rocket science.
two words for those seeking to start talent competitions in the U.S., Bristol Palin
The complaints about the downfall of civilization caused by the proliferation of reality tv have grown tiresome. As if such scripted offerings such as “Undercovers” and “Mike and Molly” are fine art! If you don’t like reality tv, don’t watch. I, for one, can’t wait to see what Simon has up his sleeve. I’m sure it’s gold. The rest of you can go back to enjoying “Private Practice.”
The networks keep trying to make their programing on the cheap. An imitation judge and contestants who do not have to pay if they lose is not justice. In fact, its deception.
The only good thing about it is it beat Oparah in the ratings.
Maybe Idol should make the contestants bid on their auditions and raise the voting cost to ten bucks.
Dig up Red Skelton, he would be more intertaining than these bozo’s hogging the tube today.
Where is our good clean funny American entertainment?
I will watch Simon. I will not watch j-lo.
I had the cable taken out of my house about a month and a half ago. Didn’t replace it with satellite either. It’s been really great not having the obnoxious “tube” blaring it’s incredible garbage into my house any longer. Ahhh, just peace and quiet. I had all the cheap reality shows I could handle. And I found most other offerings on TV pretty pathetic as well. News channels are a joke too. Talking heads spewing crap, five minutes of commercials at a time – every ten minutes. Even if I liked a show, trying to watch it with all the interruptions was annoying beyond belief. If I feel like a show, I’ll spend an hour on Hulu…or rent a movie. Cable and satellite are waaaaay overpriced…so saving a bundle too. You all should try it. I have much better communication with my lovely wife as an upshot – discovering a lot of things that having TV ruined…like a good book for instance. I am so happy without it – it’s empowering taking back your life.
Try 5 Years. That’s how long it’s been for me.
How do I live?
Just fine. Great, in fact.