Simon Cowel is still in the thick of negotiating a deal with Fox and 19E to remain on American Idol beyond Season 9. Sources are telling the Hollywood Reporter that bringing the X Factor to America is key to the deal:
Cowell, in the final year of his contract on “Idol, ” had been open about his desire to bring his mega-hit British format to the U.S., something he couldn’t do under his existing “Idol” pact.
Now Fox and Cowell are said to be hammering out a deal to launch an American version of “X Factor” — while locking in Cowell as an “Idol” judge for two more years, through the 2011-12 season.
The total deal could top 100 million dollars a year.
The deal has not been finalized and major points are being negotiated, but it is rumored that Cowell could earn about $50 million a season for “Idol” and, in success, “X Factor” might bring him an additional $50 million a cycle.
It’s rumored that Simon and Paula Abdul might appear as judges on the show.
It has not been determined whether Cowell, who would executive produce “X Factor” for Fox, also would appear as a judge, but it’s a possibility. Other rumored celebrity candidates for the judge panel are former “Idol” co-star Paula Abdul and two judges on the British “X Factor, ” pop star Cheryl Cole and manager Louis Walsh.
I’ve only begun watching the X Factor, and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. But, does Fox really need two shows that are similar running on their network? It sounds like overkill. I wonder if both can survive?
