Embattled network Channel Ten will no longer screen hit shows The Simpsons and Modern Family after the money it offered US maker 21st Century Fox was rejected.
The Simpsons has run continuously on Ten for the past 25 years and new seasons of both shows were due to hit Australian television screens later this month, but now will not be returning, according to reports today in News Corp media.
Ten, of course, is currently in receivership and is increasingly looking like it will be bought by US giant CBS.
Both CBS and 21st Century Fox are arch-rivals and it’s not clear if this had anything to do with Ten missing out on the programs.
To make matters worse, 21st Century Fox is owned by the Murdochs, and Lachlan (with partner Bruce Gordon), are doing their best to snare Ten for themselves. However, that looks increasingly unlikely.
With the loss of its hit shows and confusion over who will own and run the network, 2018 is already looking to be a difficult year for Ten. If the network can’t air 21st Century Fox content it will be desperate to secure CBS’s stable of shows.
Ten’s 2018 Upfronts are on in Sydney on the 9th of November which could make for an interesting presentation. It’s unclear if Seven or Nine would try and bid for any of 21st Century Fox’s content.
It’s widely believed if CBS did take control off Ten it would flood the broadcaster with its US programming and keep local content to the bare minimum to save costs.
CBS’s stable of shows in the US include NCIS, Criminal Minds, Madam Secretary, Bull and Hawaii Five-0. Ten already screen many of these programs, however, they’ve not overly resonated with Australian audiences if daily OzTAM figures tell a tale.
