The 21st Century Fox chief operating officer, Chase Carey, told Wall Street analysts Thursday in a conference call, that “the decision to bring back Jennifer Lopez as a judge and add Harry Connick Jr. to the mix had resulted in a show that was ‘much better than it was a year ago,’ but one that is also showing its age.” From THR:
There were no specifics on how badly the underperformance of X Factor, which included disappointing ad revenue, hurt the company. Carey did say that American Idol results are expected to continue to drift downward, although he noted it still garners ratings that most shows would envy. He added that American Idol is going through “a transition,” and is no longer the big driver of the entire network. “We know American Idol is winding down,” said Carey, adding that ratings have “fallen faster than we hoped.”
Overall TV revenues fell to $218 million from $245 a year earlier despite a 6 percent increase in revenue — in part because of those lower entertainment show ratings and less political advertising on Fox News Channel. Investments in sports rights and new scripted programming also brought down profits even as revenue from the NFL and Major League Baseball improved.
Carey said he hopes Idol continues on for more seasons. But, he cautioned, not to expect “a rebirth” for either Idol or The X-Factor.” He noted that in the future, both shows will be “… part of a broader, diversified line-up.”
