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Britain's Got Talent producer Simon Cowell and Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green are in billion-pound talks to develop an international television business they hope could become bigger than Disney.
Sources close to the two men, who are firm friends, say their plans will see them own all the rights and content of the hit Cowell shows Britain's Got Talent, X Factor and American Idol.
Sir Philip's move with Cowell, which surprised the City, will see him take on the Hollywood moguls and US entertainment corporations in their own backyard. It will establish Sir Philip, who is Britain's ninth richest person with a fortune estimated at more than £4 billion, as a global figure, straddling retail and showbusiness.
Fine details of their joint project are being ironed out but someone familiar with their plans said they are discussing launching X Factor in the US.
After that, new Cowell-inspired and led formats will be worked on and they will target other countries across the world. “They are talking about making profits running into billions as opposed to millions from their joint venture,” said someone who knows them both.
At present, X Factor and Talent sell to 30 countries. They see scope for selling to far more and for rolling out new programme strands. Currently, profits from X Factor, Talent and American Idol go to either Simon Fuller's 19 company or Sony. Cowell's existing production organisation, Syco, sold them the rights a few years ago.
This has meant that while the shows have got bigger, Cowell owns none of them. “He doesn't have any shares in them, he has nothing of the content,” said one of his friends. “They are all owned by Sony or 19. All his contracts are up for renewal next year and he's decided he wants to develop his own content — he will be on-stage as a panellist, he will be the producer and he will also be the developer, right across the world.”
In the US, America's Got Talent and American Idol have taken the television schedules by storm. On its debut, America's Got Talent went straight to the top of the ratings. American Idol is already the most successful format in US TV history for the Fox network.
What is not widely realised, said Cowell's friend, is that he does far more than sit in judgment on the various acts. “He's a genius behind the camera as well as in front of it. He edits the programmes himself, often staying up half the night to get them absolutely right, sitting in the editing suite himself. There's no detail behind the scenes that he is not across.”
But while that obsessive quest for TV perfection has paid dividends in terms of the shows' popularity and broad appeal — and have seen Cowell receive a handsome salary — he feels they have not brought him the riches to which he is entitled. The business side of the operation will be handled by Sir Philip. Until now, he has steered clear of diversifying away from retail. However, the opportunity to side with Cowell has proved too difficult to resist.
Sir Philip will ensure the programmes have lots of merchandising and that no area of profitability is left untouched. “They're thinking in terms of a new Disney,” said the source close to them both. “What they're planning is that big.” Sources close to the men, who regularly see each other on holiday at the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados, say they can barely conceal their excitement at the plans. But Sir Philip has no intention of giving up his “day job” of running his high street empire.
Reader views (27)
good luck to them, thay make people happy.
- Jan Pieters, london, 25/06/2009 00:05
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Bigger than Disney? Who the heck do these two idiots think they're fooling? Disney could buy both of them a thousand times over.
- Joe, Atlanta, GA, 24/06/2009 22:57
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Cowell makes programmes for people like me, the lowest denominator, according to David Thompson.
Well, now he's probably going to be richer than God.
Hold on, isn't HE God?
How could I possibly know? All I have is a PhD and a few other degrees, like us common denominator people do.
- Carleon, Harrow, UK, 24/06/2009 21:54
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I bet Branson is looking a bit worried by this upstart Cowell. Virgin Media and atlantic are obvious targets.
- Dhan Raj, basildon, 24/06/2009 17:21
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Cowell appeals to the lowest denominator, and needs top shame and manipulate the so called talent as well as how the public perceives the show as it is all about ratings !
- David Thompson, London Monaco, 24/06/2009 17:05
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Unlike every other miserable so&so before me on this comments section, I'd like to wish the pair of them the very best of luck. Hell, I hope they make so much money it has to be carted around in a truck!
I neither like nor watch their, (or rather Cowell's) programmes, but so what? They're enterprising, hard-working and industrious - why shouldn't they be rewarded for their success?
And for everyone moaning about the quality and type of programme Cowell makes, what, precisely, is stopping you going and making something better?
Some people are just not happy unless they're miserable...
- John, London, 24/06/2009 15:25
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Seems like good fun to me! i wish i was there..... but Sim1on will have to work on his tan to catch up with Philip!
- Graham Grimshaw, Ruislip, 24/06/2009 15:04
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would not entertain perading in front of this character for all the money in the world
find him a total l moron
and this is coming from someone with amazing talent
- Unkuttdiamond, london, 24/06/2009 14:59
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Gree(dy)n Cow-(s)ell
- Martin, sheffield, 24/06/2009 14:32
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If what Simon Cowell is doing is so easy, or so comtemptible, perhaps every one of the knockers who've made negative comments here should earn billions by doing it themselves? A successful new international broadcasting corporation, based in the UK, and employing thousands of UK talented creatives and engineers, sounds like a good thing to me and UI can't see any reason why we wouldn't want it.
- Susan, London, 24/06/2009 14:23
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I couldn't agree more with Sebastian's comment. They should call the new company GreenCashCow as that says it all! 
- Andrew Ellis, London, UK, 24/06/2009 14:22
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Bob, Cheam, surely it should be 'Any answers' as to why the UK is turning into a nation of idiots. It's a saturday show, I think. Therefore I am.
- Alan, carlisle uk, 24/06/2009 14:19
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If Reuben Camara hasn't watched TV since 1955, how does he know that it's rubbish?? - unless he means 19.55 (or 5 to 8) last night???
- Paul, London, 24/06/2009 14:07
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So we are in for a lot more dumbed down rubbish on TV. Reality shows, foul mouthed presenters and comdians and chefs who are unable to utter a sentence without at least 2 or 3 expletives.
- Strongbow Sullivan, Paris,France., 24/06/2009 13:38
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My head tells me that Green and Cowell will make a lot of money together.
But my heart tells me that both Green and Cowell are tasteless men who go for the lowest common denominator.
So expect the feckless British public to lap it up greedily regardless.
Simon Cowell's pension is slowly morphing into a war chest to be used against television!!
- Sebastian, Brent, 24/06/2009 12:46
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Love the matching outfits.
- Bloke, London, 24/06/2009 12:28
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Don't think HBO have too much to worry about.
- Eduardo, Belsize Park, 24/06/2009 12:23
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They can't do any worse than the ' brains ' at the BBC who have treated Saturday night viewers with total disdain this year. Apart from the appalling Merlin and politically correct & knowing ( but still crass ) Robin Hood, there was the embarassment of the John Barrowman show, containing items nicked from previous LE shows, followed by Totally Saturday, a complete and utter insult to the intelligence. If they wanted to create a 'Nortons House Party 'could they at least have assembled a production team who knew something about this type of entertainment. Saturday night tv has never been so unwatchable...and I can remember Summertime Special, 321 and Copy Cats.....
- Jargonaut, South London, 24/06/2009 11:15
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It is very sad that sheeple in the UK cannot see any further than their stupid television receiver.
I last watched television in 1955. It beggars belief that the sheep in the UK will watch ANYTHING without even engaging their brain.
It is time the sheeple in the UK got a life.
YOU GET WHAT YOU VOTE FOR PEEPS!!
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK, 24/06/2009 11:13
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OMG!!! Hasn't Simon Cowell done enough to dumb down television with his atrocious, dull shows??!!! HE MUST BE STOPPED - and as for Philip Green...anything for a buck, eh Phil???
- Ali Sichilongo, London, 24/06/2009 11:08
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Sounds okay - dumpUK is now the official dumping ground for Cowell's tripe.
- Ted, London, 24/06/2009 11:02
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Simon Cowell already earns a salary of over £50 million pounds a year paid by US and British TV companies. Now he's signed a deal with Philip Green to try and get more money. How greedy can a person be?
- Nicola, Kentish Town, London, 24/06/2009 10:51
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They may become bigger than Disney, but will they be as good? Look at everything Disney has created and stood for over the years. A hard act to follow, to say the least.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 24/06/2009 10:27
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Whooo, 24 hours streaming reality TV drivel, anyone have any questions as to why the UK is turning into a nation of idiots?
- Bob, Cheam, 24/06/2009 10:13
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Thus proving nobody ever made money over-estimating the taste of the public . . .
- Roz, France, 24/06/2009 10:04
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Can't wait, a whole channel of quality content we are fortunate indeed.
I blame Huey Green's Opportunity Knocks.
- Mr Pastry, Brisbane, 24/06/2009 09:49
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So we can look forward to just about everyone's got talent globally, with Kate Moss probably fronting every programme if Phil Green gets his way. I give it six months.
- Paul, London, 24/06/2009 09:46
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