MediaWorks Factors Out X Factor NZ
April 24, 2017 
7 Comments
MediaWorks won’t be commissioning another series of X Factor NZ or even screening the UK version.
Following comments by readers of this site, I asked the broadcaster if another series of the talent quest format was on the radar.
And if not a local version, would it be picking up new episodes of the UK version?
“The format rights for the New Zealand version have now expired, and we don’t currently own the UK version,” a spokesman said.
The decision not to proceed with further seasons of its own version or even the UK original isn’t surprising given MediaWorks’ investment in The Bachelor NZ, another run of The Block NZ and Sunday’s announcement that it had ordered a NZ version of Married at First Sight from Warner Bros NZ.
“Kiwis have been enthralled with the latest season of the Australian version of the show which has been Three’s highest rated international programme of 2017 – reaching a total audience of over one million people in the key 25-54 demographic and hitting over one million ThreeNow streams,” MediaWorks said in a statement today.
“The casting call is now open, with production taking place later this year and the show airing between October – December 2017.”
Meanwhile, the latest series of X Factor rival, Britain’s Got Talent, which TVNZ 1 will premiere this weekend, is drawing the biggest audience of the year so far in the UK.
Episode two averaged 9.2 million viewers and peaked at 10.2 million, which made it more popular than Call the Midwife — although it was down 1.1 million viewers on last year’s equivalent episode.
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April 24, 2017 at 5:58 pm
BOO and Three also deserves a BOO for fast forwarding the Jurassic World credits, so darn rude 🙁
Thanks, Philip, for the story regarding The X Factor NZ. It’s disappointing there is no third season of X Factor NZ but at least we had a local version of the popular series. Maybe TVNZ might be interested in a local version or the very least air the UK version to fill the void when BGT ends its run.
I reckon MediaWorks should have their own talent show, I think it would get more viewers knowing it’s an original and not just a NZ version of other shows 🙂
Hey, Leo, have a talk to Philip and see if the Big Bang repeats will be dumped for newer drama or something that will entertain us. We just don’t want any more repeats.
Hi Patrick, unfortunately the nature of commercial television won’t allow this to happen. Big Bang repeats still generate ratings and deliver a profit to TVNZ and I don’t think TVNZ wants to kill the news with a competing product at 6pm.
With the rights expiring, any chance of TVNZ picking up X Factor UK for its Saturday night variety slot, Philip?
Unless it’s a spoiler tactic or a signature hit like The Simpsons, networks are usually reluctant to pick up series that are associated with a competitor. Look how badly TVNZ 2 got burned with 24: Legacy and it will be interesting to see how TVNZ 1 fares with The Blacklist: Redemption. But if Britain’s Got Talent performs well over the next few months, it would be a strategy worth considering.