Fox to spend more on content

MUMBAI: US broadcaster Fox has made its upfront presentation to advertisers. Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly said that the broadcaster is spending more money than it has ever done on original content.

Fox is seeking to rebuild a prime-time schedule that lost a fifth of its viewers. There will be 11 new shows and two ?event series?. He said, "This season, we will strategically launch five inventive live-action comedies, four distinctive dramas, our first-ever event series, as well as some innovative new digital initiatives, across the week and throughout the year."

Reilly added, "We?re making the biggest investment in original programming in our history to ensure that Fox continues to engage viewers and move the culture more than any other entertainment brand."

Clips of new shows that have generated some interest among advertisers include ?Sleepy Hollow?, ?Rake?, ?Almost Human? and ?Gang Related?. ?Brooklyn Nine-Nine? is a comedy about a New York police squad. ?Almost Human? is an futuristic action drama set 35 years in the future, when police officers are partnered with highly evolved human-like androids.

?Sleepy Hollow? is a modern version of Washington Irving?s Ichabod Crane. ?Dads? meanwhile is a sitcom from Oscar host Seth MacFarlane about two video game entrepreneurs whose fathers move in with them.

What is also interesting is that Fox will air single-season shows consisting of around 13 episodes. This way the broadcaster can tap talent that may not necessarily want to get locked in for a longer period of time.

Networked Insights, which provides social data for use in media planning and buying has advised media buyers that shows like ?Almost Human? and ?Sleepy Hollow? are worth advertising on.