Thursday, December 29, 2011

Gimme Some Moneee

Rupert and his minions could be staring at some seriously high mounds of cash in the not-distant future.

... While 20th Century Fox Television re-signed the longest-running comedy on television [The Simpsons] for two more seasons in October, it is unlikely the run will go any further given the tumultuous negotiations that took place with the voice actors.

And here’s why it will mean a windfall for the company within three years. The syndication agreement was signed years ago at a different time in the media landscape and only allowed Fox to sell the show to local affiliates.

Now, News Corp. could sell to cable stations such as TBS and Comedy Central and so-called over-the-top distributors like Netflix. ... [T]he company could easily get $1 million to $2 million per episode for the 500-plus episode library. ...

I'm sure that the News Corp. folks will be more than delighted to share a little of this windfall with the artists who have toiled on the show all these years.

Won't they? Won't they?!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Simpsons ran its course. I'm glad it's ending. Time for something new.

Anonymous said...

I've read the title of this post as "Gimme some Monet! ;-)

Steve Hulett said...

That too. Now I just have to find an appropriate painting.

Anonymous said...

I've never been one to keep up with who's who and what they're doing to each other but I am curious to know who "Rupert" is and what 20th Century Fox has to do with News Corp, whatever that is. I don't understand how the end of the Simpson's will provide a windfall for 20th Century Fox Television because News Corp can sell something to cable stations like TBS, Comedy Central and Netflix. Too much inside information decipherable only by those who read the business journals and Roget's Thesaurus of Corporate Buzz Phrases.

Anonymous said...

^ The impetus is on you to inform yourself, not to chastise the rest of us for knowing how our industry works.

Anonymous said...

I'm more interested in fox news/newscorp illegally breaking into and spying on families of 9/11 victims than any of their sales.

Steve Hulett said...

I've never been one to keep up with who's who and what they're doing to each other but I am curious to know who "Rupert" is and what 20th Century Fox has to do with News Corp, whatever that is.

You read an movie industry/movie labor blog, it's a good idea to know who movie industry players are.

It's like me going on an economics site, and complaining about all the numbers and graphs.

But to your question: "Rupert" is Rupert Murdoch, a major owner of News Corp. which owns 20th Century-Fox, which co-owns "The Simpsons" with Gracie Films, director-writer James L. Brooks's company.

So. Is everything crystal clear?

Steve Hulett said...

Adding: 20th Century-Fox is a movie company formed in 1935 when Darryl Zanuck's "20th Century Pictures" merged with the Fox Film Corporation to become ... well, you can deduce the rest.

And Darryl Zanuck was a writer and production head, first at Warner Bros., then at his own company (cited above) and then at 20th Century-Fox.

Darryl's son, Richard Zanuck, is a movie producer who has been active in the motion picture business for over 50 years.

Anonymous said...

**I'm more interested in fox news/newscorp illegally breaking into and spying on families of 9/11 victims than any of their sales.**

Then what are you doing HERE? There are plenty of left-wing paranoia websites out there, complete with funny cartoons. Move along, now.

Anonymous said...

One of Rupert's other companies, Blue Sky, does have a bonus pool for films that do well. It's embarrassingly small, but at least it exists. I doubt the same exists for Simpsons workers

Anonymous said...

It's not left wing anything --just fact. You need to lift the nuts out of your tea bagged eyes and come back to reality.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't matter to me. I haven't cared about the simpsons since the 'who shot mr. burns' stunt.

Will Have to Work Until I'm 80 (if I'm that lucky) said...

To the Anony fan boys who wrote the above comments:

"The Simpsons ran its course. I'm glad it's ending. Time for something new."

And

"Doesn't matter to me. I haven't cared about the simpsons since the 'who shot mr. burns' stunt."


Boys, you're missing the point. This isn't a post about your experience of watching the Simpsons as media consumers. This is a blog about and for people in the animation industry. The point is this:

"The company could easily get $1 million to $2 million per episode for the 500-plus episode library."

That's $500 million dollars (or considerably more) . On top of the enormous profits the show and it's merchandise has already generated.


Therefore Steve's rhetorical comment:

"I'm sure that the News Corp. folks will be more than delighted to share a little of this windfall with the artists who have toiled on the show all these years.

Won't they?"


Get it ? You don't ? Ok, well, run along now, boys.

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