By Matthew Garrahan in Los Angeles/Financial Times
Published: December 16 2009 23:15
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| Not on the box: The next offering from American Idol creator Simon Fuller will debut on Hulu |
Simon Fuller, the creator of American Idol, will premiere his new entertainment show on Hulu, the online video site, several months before its expected airing on network television, in a move that signals a shift in the dynamics of US broadcasting.
The media industry has been keenly awaiting Mr Fuller’s next move following his success with American Idol, the most-watched show in the US for the past eight years.
The latest venture from his 19 Entertainment group is If I Can Dream, which will follow the efforts of five young people trying to break into the entertainment industry. Their every move will be streamed online, with the audience able to interact with them via video messages and social networking sites such as MySpace and Twitter.
The debut of the programme online in early 2010 represents a departure from the way broadcasters have operated for decades. The four US networks – ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC – often cancel expensive series after only one or two episodes because of poor viewing figures.
However, If I Can Dream will have time to build an audience on the web. If it suceeds, other producers are likely to follow Mr Fuller on to Hulu – owned by Fox, ABC and NBC.
“We’re going to see a lot of experimentation going on where content creators use Hulu to mitigate the risk of the pilot process,” said Jason Kilar, chief executive of Hulu.
The site has been growing rapidly since its launch two years ago and had 42m viewers during October.
Mr Fuller said he was determined to “push the boundaries of mainstream entertainment”.
“The next frontier is the video world of authentic real time interaction,” he added.
The deal comes as media companies seek to make more content available online. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox all broadcast replays of their shows on the web but have yet to take the plunge by broadcasting original, prime-time programming online before it appears elsewhere.
If I Can Dream has already attracted commercial backing from Ford and Pepsi before it has aired, in the latest sign that TV advertisers are warming to online video.
Hulu, which is only available in the US, is in discussions with its broadcasting partners about launching the site in several new countries, including the UK. If I Can Dream will be screened globally via ificandream.com.
Mr Fuller shot to fame as the pop music mogul who created the Spice Girls. He also represents David Beckham and master-minded his move from Real Madrid to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Tags: "If I Can Dream", Hulu, Simon Fuller, television
