Pavan
02-25-2003, 09:45 AM
Buena Vista TV has kicked off a bidding war for off-network rerun rights to the hit ABC sitcom "My Wife & Kids," and Tribune stations won the auction over Fox stations in the first five markets to close on the deal.
KTLA Los Angeles, WPIX New York, WGN Chicago, KBDC Washington and KHWB Houston -- all owned by Tribune Broadcasting -- have won exclusive rights to "My Wife & Kids" in their markets for the first three years of a contract that could run beyond five years, depending on how long ABC keeps renewing it. The stations can start playing the series five times a week in the fall of 2005.
Buena Vista has retained the right to sell the sitcom to a cable network in year four, setting up a shared window with TV syndication. Two cable networks that have already expressed an interest in "My Wife & Kids" are TBS, which runs a successful rerun-comedy block every weekday from 1 to 8 p.m., and Buena Vista's sister network, ABC Family.
Since hit reality series are cutting into the number of half-hour comedies on the broadcast networks' prime-time schedules, TV stations are beginning to worry that the pipeline for sitcom reruns could run dry. That fear could drive up the price of "My Wife & Kids" to an eventual license fee exceeding $2 million an episode in off-network syndication.
The show could also deliver an additional high eight-figure number from a combination of license fees from the eventual cable-network deal and the value of the national advertising time in each episode.
"My Wife & Kids," from Touchstone TV, stars Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell as the parents of three obstreperous kids. Wayans also is a co-executive producer.
KTLA Los Angeles, WPIX New York, WGN Chicago, KBDC Washington and KHWB Houston -- all owned by Tribune Broadcasting -- have won exclusive rights to "My Wife & Kids" in their markets for the first three years of a contract that could run beyond five years, depending on how long ABC keeps renewing it. The stations can start playing the series five times a week in the fall of 2005.
Buena Vista has retained the right to sell the sitcom to a cable network in year four, setting up a shared window with TV syndication. Two cable networks that have already expressed an interest in "My Wife & Kids" are TBS, which runs a successful rerun-comedy block every weekday from 1 to 8 p.m., and Buena Vista's sister network, ABC Family.
Since hit reality series are cutting into the number of half-hour comedies on the broadcast networks' prime-time schedules, TV stations are beginning to worry that the pipeline for sitcom reruns could run dry. That fear could drive up the price of "My Wife & Kids" to an eventual license fee exceeding $2 million an episode in off-network syndication.
The show could also deliver an additional high eight-figure number from a combination of license fees from the eventual cable-network deal and the value of the national advertising time in each episode.
"My Wife & Kids," from Touchstone TV, stars Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell as the parents of three obstreperous kids. Wayans also is a co-executive producer.