The X Factor (American TV series)
The X Factor | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | Reality television |
Created by | Simon Cowell (uncredited) |
Showrunner | Simon Cowell |
Creative directors | |
Presented by | |
Judges | |
Composer | Simon Cowell |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 3 |
No. of episodes | 80 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Production locations |
|
Running time | 60–150 minutes |
Production company | |
Original release | |
Network | Fox |
Release | September 21, 2011 December 19, 2013 | –
Related | |
The X Factor |
The X Factor also known as The X Factor USA, is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox.[2] Based on the original UK show, and an addition to The X Factor franchise, the series found new singing talent (solo artists and groups ages 12 and over), drawn from public auditions, and they competed against each other for votes. The winners were determined by the show's viewers via telephone, the Internet, and SMS text voting, and were awarded a recording contract with Cowell's record label Syco Music, worth $5 million in seasons one and two, and $1 million in season three. America voted for the following winners: Melanie Amaro, Tate Stevens, and Alex & Sierra, respectively.
The show began airing on September 21, 2011, through negative reviews,[3] and aired annually from September through December. The series employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. Each contestant is assigned to one of four categories. The group acts are one category and the others are based on age or gender. For example, in season 1 the categories were girls, boys, groups, and over 30s. Each judge was assigned to one of the categories,[4] and acted as a mentor to the contestants in his or her category, helping with song choices, styling, and staging, while also judging contestants from the other categories after each of the live performances. They competed with each other to try to get one of the contestants in their category to win the competition, thus making them the winning judge.
The most successful act to emerge from the series is Fifth Harmony, with all members launching solo careers.[5]
Kane Brown,[6] a well-known country music artist, was also a contestant on The X Factor USA,[7] however he left the show before completing the competition. This shows that the show has been a platform for many artists who later pursued successful careers in music, even if they didn’t win the competition.
The original judging panel consisted of Cowell, Paula Abdul, Cheryl Cole, and L.A. Reid, with Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones as co-hosts. Scherzinger would later replace Cole on the judging panel after two audition sites. Demi Lovato and Britney Spears joined the panel in the second season as replacements for Abdul and Scherzinger, while Khloé Kardashian and Mario Lopez replaced Jones as co-hosts. Reid and Spears did not return for the third season and were replaced by Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio, while Lopez became sole host after Kardashian was not asked to come back.
Announcement and launch
[edit]On January 11, 2010, News Corporation (via Fox News in the U.S. and The Times in the UK) reported that Cowell would leave American Idol after season 9 in order to bring The X Factor to the United States in September 2011. Cowell told the Television Critics Association that he was leaving American Idol so that he could judge and act as executive producer of the U.S. version of The X Factor.[8] Additionally, Cowell signed a long-term contract with Sony Music, who already supported Syco Music artists in the UK, under which he was involved with the production of the U.S. version of the show and also worked with the artists who won recording contracts.[2]
In November 2010, Fox began airing short commercials for the program, which displayed the text "Coming to America Fall 2011".[9][10] The New York Times described the commercials as efforts by the network to set up the launch of The X Factor as a television "event."[9] In February 2011, during Super Bowl XLV, Fox unveiled the official logo for the show in a promo starring Cowell.[11] A second promo was shown during the course of that evening, featuring Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Lady Gaga, The Pussycat Dolls, and Madonna. This promo gave rise to speculation about who would join Cowell on The X Factor judging panel.[12]
Format
[edit]Categories
[edit]The show is primarily concerned with identifying singing talent, though appearance, personality, stage presence and dance routines are also an important element of many performances. Each judge is assigned one of four categories, to use their experience to help the artists. For season one, these categories were: "Boys" (aged 12–29 males), "Girls" (aged 12–29 females), "Over 30s" (solo acts aged 30 and over), and "Groups" (including duos). Season two's categories and age group boundaries were changed, with the "Boys" and "Girls" categories becoming "Teens" (solo acts aged 12–17) and "Young Adults" (solo acts aged 18–24), and the "Over 30s" became "Over 25s" (solo acts aged 25 and over). For both seasons, some groups were formed from soloists and other groups rejected after the audition process.[4] Through the live shows, the judges act as mentors to their category, helping to decide song choices, styling, and staging, while judging contestants from other categories.
Season three's categories and age group boundaries were changed, with the "Teens" and "Youth Adults" categories becoming back as "Boys" (aged 12–24 males) and "Girls" (aged 12–24 females) and the "Over 25s" (solo acts aged 25 and over).
Stages for seasons 1 and 2
[edit]There are five stages to the competition:
- Stage 1: Producers' auditions (these auditions decide who will sing in front of the judges)
- Stage 2: Judges' auditions
- Stage 3: Boot camp
- Stage 4: Judges' houses
- Stage 5: Live shows (finals)
Stages for season 3
[edit]There are four stages to the competition:
- Stage 1: Producers' audition (these auditions decide who will sing in front of the judges)
- Stage 2: Judges' auditions
- Stage 3: Four-chair challenge
- Stage 4: Live shows (finals)
Auditions
[edit]The show is open to solo artists and vocal groups aged 12 and above, with no upper age limit.[13][14] Applicants are given an opportunity to apply by uploading a video audition to the Internet. The show's producers also send a "mobile audition van" to various locations throughout the U.S. to audition singers who are unable to attend the arena auditions. A round of first auditions is held in front of producers months before the show is aired, some by application and appointment, and others in "open" auditions that anyone can attend. These auditions, held at various venues around the U.S., attract very large crowds. The producers' auditions are not televised, but shots of crowds waving and "judges' cars" arriving are filmed and later spliced in with the televised auditions shot later in the year. After waiting at the venue for hours (during which crews film more shots of crowds screaming and waving), each candidate is given a brief audition by someone from the production team. If they pass that audition (either because of their talent or because the producers think they will make entertaining television), they are given a "golden ticket" that allows them to audition for a more senior member of the production team. Only candidates who successfully pass this second audition (and then a third along similar lines) are invited to perform in front of the judges. (The televised version misleadingly gives the impression that everyone in the huge crowds shown is waiting for a chance to perform for the judges.)
A selection of the auditions in front of the judges – usually the best, the worst and the most bizarre – are broadcast during the first few weeks of the show. The judges' auditions are held in front of a live audience, and the acts sing over a backing track. If a majority of the judges (in this case, at least three judges) have to say "yes" then the act goes through to the next stage, otherwise, they are sent home.
Boot camp and judges' houses
[edit]In the first two seasons, The contestants selected at the auditions were further refined through a series of performances at "boot camp", and then at the "judges' houses", until a small number eventually progressed to the live finals (seventeen in season 1, and sixteen in season 2).
At boot camp, the judges collaboratively chose a small number of acts (32 in season 1 with eight in each category; 24 in season 2 with six in each category) for the next round, "judges' houses". The producers then assigned each of the judges a category to mentor, and the judges split up for the "judges' houses" round, in which each of them hosted the contestants in their assigned category at a luxurious residence, often scattered around the globe. The houses the contestants visited did not in every case actually belong to the judges, some were rented for the occasion.
The contestants did not know who their mentor would be until they arrived at that judge's house.
During this round, each judge held another round of auditions on location, and then further reduced the number of acts with the help of a celebrity guest.
In season three, these stages of the competition are being replaced by a new stage called "The Six-Chair Challenge", first introduced in the Dutch version of the series.[15]
Live shows
[edit]![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/CBS_TelevisionCity02.jpg/220px-CBS_TelevisionCity02.jpg)
The selected finalists (either 16 or 17 acts) move into shared accommodation at the Hollywood Hills to take part in the show. The mansion is also notably used for housing the finalists from American Idol.[16]
The finals consist of a series of two live shows, the first featuring the contestants' performances and the second revealing the results of the public voting, culminating in one or more acts being eliminated. Celebrity guest performers also feature regularly. These live shows are filmed at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. The performance shows were broadcast on Wednesday nights and the results show on Thursday nights. In season one, seventeen acts were put through to the live shows, and sixteen acts were put through in season two.
In addition to the live broadcast on Fox, Sony and SYCOtv created a completely integrated second-screen experience and a Pepsi sponsored live digital pre-show known as The X Factor Digital Experience. In addition to watching the program live on television, the audience was now able to participate on multiple platforms in real-time.[17][18]
Performances
[edit]The show is primarily concerned with identifying a potential pop star or star group, and singing talent, appearance, personality, stage presence and dance routines are all important elements of the contestants' performances. In the initial live shows, each act performs once in the first show in front of a studio audience and the judges, usually singing over a pre-recorded backing track. Dancers are also commonly featured. Acts occasionally accompany themselves on guitar or piano. Each live show has had a different theme; each contestant's song is chosen according to the theme. After each act has performed, the judges comment on their performance. Heated disagreements, usually involving judges defending their contestants against criticism, are a regular feature of the show. Once all the acts have appeared, the phone lines open and the viewing public vote on which act they want to keep. Once the number of contestants has been reduced to five (season 1), or six (season 2), each act would perform twice in the performances show. This continues until only three acts remain. These acts go on to appear in the grand final which decides the overall winner by public vote.
Results
[edit]Before the results are announced, the results show occasionally begins with a group performance from the remaining contestants. However, the song is pre-recorded and the contestants mime, due to problems with the number of microphones.[citation needed] The two acts polling the fewest votes are revealed. Both these acts perform again in a "final showdown", and the judges vote on which of the two to send home. They were able to pick new songs to perform in the "final showdown". "Double elimination" took place in some of the results shows, where the bottom three acts were revealed and the act with the fewest votes was automatically eliminated, and the two with the next fewest votes performed in the "final showdown" as normal. In season two, at the end of each result show, the rankings of the acts based on the public votes were announced.
Ties are possible as there are four judges voting on which of the two to send home. In the event of a tie, the result goes to deadlock, and the act who finished last in the public vote is sent home. The actual number of votes cast for each act is not revealed, nor even the order until after the season's conclusion. However, a twist occurred in season two where the rankings of the acts based on the public vote for the week were revealed after the eliminations on the show. Once the number of contestants has been reduced to four, the act which received the lowest number votes is automatically eliminated from the competition (the judges do not have a vote; their only role is to comment on the performances).
Twists
[edit]Season | Twist |
---|---|
One | At the end of judges' houses, it was announced that Cowell would bring back one further act from his "Girls" category that he had eliminated at the judges' houses. He believed that he had made "a huge mistake" at judges' houses by not choosing the act for the live shows. The act was later revealed to be Melanie Amaro and therefore season one had a final 17 instead of a final 16. On the first live show, there was no public vote. Instead, each of the judges selected one of their own acts to eliminate. Cowell had to eliminate two acts because he included Amaro as a fifth contestant in his category. |
Two | Similar to season one, there was no public vote on the first live show and each of the mentors selected one of their own acts to eliminate. However, prior to the elimination of each category, each mentor selected two finalists from their own category as the bottom two. The bottom two acts performed another song of their choice in the "final showdown" and their mentor was required to eliminate one of them based on the performance. At the start of the second live show, it was announced that all judges agreed to bring back one further act whom they felt should not have been eliminated on the first live show by the mentor. The act was later revealed to be Diamond White. |
Three | Just like the previous two seasons, there was no public vote or final showdown during the first live show. Instead, each of the judges selected one of their own acts to eliminate. At the start of the second live show, it was announced that all judges agreed to bring back one further act whom they felt should not have been eliminated on the first live show by the mentor. The act was later revealed to be Josh Levi. |
After The X Factor
[edit]The winner of the competition is awarded a recording contract with Syco Music in association with Sony Music Entertainment, which would include cash payments totaling $5 million.[13][14] A press release on behalf of the show on February 7, 2011 called the recording contract "the largest guaranteed prize in television history."[19] Unlike the British version of the show,[20] the costs of recording and marketing the winning artist will be paid for separately from the $5 million initial contract payment. The $5 million will be paid directly to the winner in five annual installments of $1 million. Cowell said in a conference call with reporters on February 7, 2011: "I think it should be a life-changing prize and just to be clear, this isn't a dressed-up $5 million, this is a guaranteed $5 million payable to the winner. The recording, marketing, and video costs are completely separate to that. It will be paid over five years at $1 million a year."[21] Cowell said in the same conference call that the specific music label within the Sony family that the winner signs with depends on which label could provide the best support to the winner with regard to the type of music the winner chooses to perform.
Series overview
[edit]To date, three seasons have been broadcast, as summarized below.
Season | Start | Finish | Judges (Category) |
Winner (mentor) |
Runner-Up (mentor) |
Host(s) | Sponsors | Guest Judges | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Judge 1 | Judge 2 | Judge 3 | Judge 4 | ||||||||
1 | September 21, 2011 | December 22, 2011 | L.A. Reid (Boys) |
Nicole Scherzinger (Over 30s) |
Paula Abdul (Groups) # |
Simon Cowell (Girls)‡ |
Melanie Amaro† Girls (Cowell) |
Josh Krajcik Over 30s (Scherzinger) |
Steve Jones | Pepsi Sony Verizon Chevrolet |
Cheryl Cole1 |
2 | September 12, 2012 | December 20, 2012 | L.A. Reid (Over 25s)‡ | Britney Spears (Teens) | Demi Lovato (Young Adults) # | Simon Cowell (Groups) | Tate Stevens† Over 25s (Reid) |
Carly Rose Sonenclar Teens (Spears) |
Khloé Kardashian Mario Lopez |
Pepsi Sony Verizon Best Buy |
Louis Walsh2 |
3 | September 11, 2013 | December 19, 2013 | Kelly Rowland (Over 25s) | Demi Lovato (Girls) # | Paulina Rubio (Boys) | Simon Cowell (Groups)‡ | Alex & Sierra† Groups (Cowell) |
Jeff Gutt Over 25s (Rowland) |
Mario Lopez | CoverGirl Herbal Essences Honda Secret |
— |
- Notes
Judges and hosts
[edit]Host | Season | ||
---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | |
Steve Jones | Host | ||
Mario Lopez | Host | ||
Khloe Kardashian | Host |
Judge | Season | ||
---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | |
Simon Cowell | Main | ||
L.A. Reid | Main | ||
Paula Abdul | Main | ||
Nicole Scherzinger | Main | ||
Britney Spears | Main | ||
Demi Lovato | Main | ||
Kelly Rowland | Main | ||
Paulina Rubio | Main | ||
Cheryl Cole | Guest | ||
Louis Walsh | Guest |
Judges
[edit]At the time of announcing the U.S. version of The X Factor, Simon Cowell was the only confirmed judge for the show.[22] Eventually, Grammy Award-winning record executive, songwriter, and record producer L.A. Reid,[23][24] former The X Factor UK judge Cheryl Cole,[25][26] and Cowell's former American Idol colleague Paula Abdul[27] were confirmed to join Cowell in the judging panel. However, Nicole Scherzinger would replace Cole on the judging panel after two audition sites.
After season one, the show's producers had said that they would undergo some changes which resulted in, what media outlets called, an "X Factor Shake-up". On January 30, 2012, it was announced that neither Abdul nor Scherzinger would return as a judge for season two[28] When searching for replacements, Cowell sought to hire pop star Britney Spears as Abdul's replacement. After months of negotiations, Cowell and Spears came to an agreement for season two. Following the employment of Spears, Cowell was looking for a young superstar, in order to bring in a younger audience. On May 14, the show confirmed that Demi Lovato would replace Scherzinger.
On December 13, 2012, Reid announced that he would not be returning as a judge for a third season, instead opting to focus on Epic Records. Spears announced on January 11, 2013, that she would not be renewing her contract for another season, opting to focus on recording her eighth studio album. In March 2013, Lovato was announced to be joining Cowell on the panel again for season three. In April 2013, it was reported that former judge on The X Factor UK Kelly Rowland was the front-runner to replace Reid. In May 2013, the show officially confirmed that Rowland would replace Reid and Paulina Rubio would replace Spears and join Cowell and Lovato for the third season.[29]
- Judges gallery
-
Simon Cowell (2011–2013)
-
L.A. Reid (2011–2012)
-
Paula Abdul (2011)
-
Nicole Scherzinger (2011)
-
Britney Spears (2012)
-
Demi Lovato (2012–2013)
-
Kelly Rowland (2013)
-
Paulina Rubio (2013)
Hosts
[edit]Cowell initially indicated that The X Factor may have two hosts.[30][31] Numerous people were speculated to host the series, including High School Musical star Corbin Bleu, model Marisa Miller,[32] and Dermot O'Leary, host of the UK version.[33] On May 8, 2011, Nicole Scherzinger and Welsh presenter Steve Jones were announced as co-hosts of the show.[34][35] However, Scherzinger would later replace Cheryl Cole on the judging panel.
After season one, Jones followed judges Paula Abdul and Scherzinger out the door as they were all dismissed from their duties on the show. Reality star Khloé Kardashian and Extra host Mario Lopez were confirmed as the two hosts hired, replacing Jones. The season two auditions, boot camp, and judges' houses phases of the show went on without hosts as they were not yet confirmed. On April 22, 2013, Fox announced that Lopez would return as sole host for season three after Kardashian was not asked back as co-host.[36]
- Hosts gallery
-
Mario Lopez (2012–2013)
-
Khloé Kardashian (2012)
-
Steve Jones (2011)
Judges' categories and their contestants
[edit]In each season, each judge is allocated a category to mentor and chooses a small number of acts (four or five, depending on the season) to progress to the live finals. This table shows, for each season, which category each judge was allocated and which acts he or she put through to the live finals.
- – Winning judge/category. Winners are in bold, eliminated contestants in small font.
Season | Paula Abdul | Simon Cowell | Nicole Scherzinger | L.A. Reid |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Groups Lakoda Rayne The Stereo Hogzz InTENsity The Brewer Boys |
Girls Melanie Amaro Rachel Crow Drew Simone Battle Tiah Tolliver |
Over 30s Josh Krajcik LeRoy Bell Stacy Francis Dexter Haygood |
Boys Chris Rene Marcus Canty Astro Phillip Lomax |
2 | Demi Lovato | Simon Cowell | Britney Spears | L.A. Reid |
Young Adults CeCe Frey Paige Thomas Jennel Garcia Willie Jones |
Groups Fifth Harmony Emblem3 LYRIC 145 Sister C |
Teens Carly Rose Sonenclar Diamond White Beatrice Miller Arin Ray |
Over 25s Tate Stevens Vino Alan Jason Brock David Correy | |
3 | Demi Lovato | Simon Cowell | Paulina Rubio | Kelly Rowland |
Girls Rion Paige Ellona Santiago Khaya Cohen Danie Geimer |
Groups Alex & Sierra Restless Road Sweet Suspense RoXxy Montana |
Boys Carlito Olivero Josh Levi Tim Olstad Carlos Guevara |
Over 25s Jeff Gutt Lillie McCloud Rachel Potter James Kenney |
Pre-show
[edit]The Pepsi Pre-show Live is a podcast, sponsored by Pepsi, that is broadcast through the X Factor website one hour before every episode in the live rounds of the show. This program features behind-the-scenes looks backstage, acoustic performances, and interviews with celebrities, judges, contestants, and X Factor alumni. This program is hosted by Jesse Giddings, Adrienne Bailon, and Jim Cantiello.
Reception
[edit]Television ratings
[edit]Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of The X Factor on Fox.
- Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
Season | Premiered | Ended | TV season | Timeslot (ET) | Season ranking |
Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Viewers (in millions) |
Date | Viewers (in millions) | |||||
1 | September 21, 2011 | 12.49 | Final performances: December 21, 2011 |
12.67 | 2011–12 | Wednesday 8:00 pm (performance show) |
19 | [37][38] |
Season finale: December 22, 2011 |
12.57 | Thursday 8:00 pm (results show) |
20 | |||||
2 | September 12, 2012 | 8.73 | Final performances: December 19, 2012 |
8.35 | 2012–13 | Wednesday 8:00 pm (performance show) |
39 | [39][40] |
Season finale: December 20, 2012 |
9.65 | Thursday 8:00 pm (results show) |
40 | |||||
3 | September 11, 2013 | 6.45 | Final performances: December 18, 2013 |
5.04 | 2013–14 | Wednesday 8:00 pm (performance show) |
61 | [41] |
Season finale: December 19, 2013 |
6.22 | Thursday 8:00 pm (results show) |
72 |
The show was also broadcast on ITV2 in the united Kingdom, season 1 proved popular launching just 1 day after the American launch date
Awards and nominations
[edit]At the 2012 Teen Choice Awards, The X Factor beat rival shows American Idol and The Voice to take the award for Reality Competition Show. The X Factor also won the award for Breakout Show, and Simon Cowell won the Male Personality award.
Year | Association | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Teen Choice Awards | Reality Competition Show | The X Factor | Won |
Breakout Show | The X Factor | Won | ||
Male Personality | Simon Cowell | Won | ||
Female Reality Star | Melanie Amaro | Nominated | ||
2013 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Competition Show | The X Factor | Won |
Favorite Celebrity Judge | Demi Lovato | Won | ||
Britney Spears | Nominated | |||
Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Villain | Simon Cowell | Won | |
Teen Choice Awards | Reality Competition Show | The X Factor | Won | |
Female Artist | Demi Lovato | Won | ||
Female Hottie | Demi Lovato | Nominated | ||
Smile | Demi Lovato | Nominated | ||
Male Personality | Simon Cowell | Won | ||
Female Personality | Demi Lovato | Won | ||
Breakout Group | Emblem3 | Won | ||
Choice Style Icon | Demi Lovato | Won | ||
Choice Single: Female Artist | Demi Lovato | Won |
Controversies
[edit]In the quarter-final of season one, Scherzinger voted to eliminate contestant Rachel Crow from the show over Marcus Canty; this sent the result to deadlock. Following this, Crow was eliminated and Scherzinger was booed off the stage and her future on the show was put in jeopardy.[42] She subsequently received death threats from some viewers.[43] Scherzinger had been proven to be an unpopular judge, with her performance during the season being panned by critics, as well as controversy even before the show airing, regarding her replacing Cheryl Cole on the judging panel.[44][45] Scherzinger was let go at the end of the season and later transferred to the UK show to replace Kelly Rowland for the 2012 UK series. On the UK show, Scherzinger became a more popular and successful judge.
The airing of the season two judges' houses episode on October 17, 2012, was cut short abruptly in the middle of Lovato's selection for the top 16 to return to MLB on Fox coverage of Game 3 of the 2012 National League Championship Series, which had been in a lengthy rain delay and restarted (the game started at 4 p.m. ET so that Fox could run their primetime lineup upon the game's completion).[46] After viewer complaints and a Twitter message from Cowell that consisted of his reaction being "It's what's known as a total f up," the episode was re-aired the next week in full.
In season three, due to graphics errors made in the top 13 round of the live shows regarding voting, all voting results posted in that episode were invalidated, and the contestants sang once more on November 7, 2013, show, with the results revealed on November 13.[47]
Music releases by The X Factor contestants
[edit]International broadcasts
[edit]Following the announcement of the show coming to America, several other broadcasters around the world expressed interest in acquiring the rights to show the American version of the show in their country. The below-mentioned countries may have their own version of The X Factor, dubbed equally or under another name.
- Brazil: Premiered on October 11, 2011, on Canal Sony
- Bulgaria: Season one premiered Saturday, November 3, 2012, on FOX
- Canada: Simultaneously broadcast with the Fox broadcast on CTV (on Wednesday) or CTV Two (on Thursday).[48] (for the third season, shown only on CTV Two)
- Cyprus: Premiered on September 30, 2011, on RIK 1
- Czech Republic: Season two premiered on September 15, 2012, on Prima Love
- Denmark: Premiered on October 1, 2011, on DR HD
- Estonia: Premiered on October 9, 2011, and is broadcast on every Sunday on TV3[49]
- Finland: Premiered on October 4, 2011, and is broadcast on Tuesday and Friday on Sub
- Greece: Premiered on October 1, 2011, on ANT1[50]
- Hungary: Premiered on October 1, 2011, and is broadcast on every Sunday and Saturday on RTL Klub[51]
- India: Premiered on September 22, 2011, and is simulcast on Big CBS Prime, Love and Spark.
- Indonesia: A group of local TV networks is airing the shows the same week it is aired in America; in Jakarta it airs on B Channel (now RTV) on Thursday and Friday, with repeats on Saturday and Sunday.
- Ireland: Premiered on September 13, 2011, on TV3 and is broadcast every Friday. Also airs on ITV2 (see UK section).
- Israel: Premiered on September 14, 2011, and is broadcast on Friday and Saturday on Hot 3
- Iran: Premiered on December 20, 2012, and is broadcast on Thursday and Friday on GEM TV
- Japan: Premiered on October 1, 2011, on FOX bs238
- Latin America: Premiered on October 12, 2011, on Sony Channel. Season 2 premiered on October 26, 2012, also on Sony Channel.
- Latvia: Premiered on December 1, 2012, on Channel 2
- Malaysia: Premiered on September 23, 2011, on 8TV
- Middle East: Same day telecast as the U.S. Premiered on September 24, 2011, on OSN First after it is aired in the U.S, on Space Power TV and MBC+ Variety and MBC Persia and MBC 4 and Dubai One
- New Zealand: Broadcast six and a half hours after it is aired in the U.S, on TV3[52]
- Philippines: Premiered on September 22, 2011, on Studio 23 (now ABS-CBN Sports+Action).
- Poland: Premiered on October 11, 2011, on Fox Life and is broadcast every Tuesday[53]
- Portugal: Airs on SIC Mulher
- Russia: Premiered on January 2, 2012, and is broadcast on Monday to Friday on MTV
- Singapore: Same day telecast as the U.S. on MediaCorp Channel 5[54]
- Serbia: Premiered on November 2, 2012, on FOX Serbia.
- Slovakia: Premiered on September 23, 2011, on JOJ Plus; season two premiered September 14, 2012 on TV JOJ (broadcast in Slovakia 24 hours after it is aired in the U.S.)
- South Africa: Broadcast on SABC 1
- Thailand: Broadcast on Workpoint TV (Season 1), RTL CBS Entertainment
- Turkey: Broadcast on Dizimax Entertainment
- Trinidad and Tobago: Airs on CNC3
- United Kingdom and Ireland: As part of Cowell's contract, it was agreed that ITV2, the sister channel to the ITV network (which airs the original British version of The X Factor), would have rights to air the U.S. version. The first season was broadcast in the UK 18 hours after the U.S. airing – it premiered on September 22, 2011, in the UK and airs on Thursday and Friday nights. The second season premiered on September 27, 2012, meaning there was initially a delay of two weeks after the U.S. airing. From the live shows onwards, this gap has again reduced to 48 hours. Season 3 premiered on September 20, 2013, nine days after the U.S. premiere.
Sponsorship
[edit]On January 7, 2011, Fox, SYCOtv and FremantleMedia North America announced that Pepsi would be the official sponsor of The X Factor.[4][9] The sponsorship included an extensive multi-platform on and off-air marketing partnership.[4] On June 9, Chevrolet was announced as the second official sponsor of the show. Chevrolet's sponsorship would also include an extensive multi-platform on and off-air marketing partnership.[55] Sony was confirmed as the third official sponsor on July 26. Sony's sponsorship of The X Factor would also include an extensive multi-platform on and off-air marketing partnership.[56] Verizon also sponsored the show; they were the official wireless sponsor.[57]
In 2012, the show was the second-highest revenue earning show of the year, with US$5.55 million ad revenue per half-hour, behind American Idol.[58]
For the third season, Honda and Procter & Gamble replaced the previous major sponsors of the show, with Procter & Gamble using it as a platform to promote its CoverGirl, Herbal Essences and Secret personal care brands.[59]
Potential NBC revival
[edit]In November 2014, it was reported that Cowell was considering re-launching the American version in 2015, though this was proved untrue.[60] However, Cowell has said he was more than willing to give the American version another go, and that they received offers to bring it back on other networks, though he said he would bring it back when there is less competition in the TV talent show landscape.[61] In December 2022, The U.S. Sun reported that, while an official deal has yet to be reached, Cowell was in talks with NBC, which had offered to revive the American version of The X Factor.[62]
See also
[edit]- The X Factor - British version of the reality television music competition series from 2004 to 2018.
References
[edit]- ^ "The X Factor Press Release" (PDF) (Press release). Fox Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ a b Wilkes, Alex (January 19, 2010). "Sony confirms Cowell, Green venture". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on May 8, 2010. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
- ^ Wilkes, Neil; French, Dan (January 20, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: Cowell confirms start date for US 'X Factor'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 23, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "PEPSI is Announced as the Official Sponsor of The X Factor!". Fox Broadcasting Company. January 7, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "The X Factor USA: Where are the biggest stars now?". EntertainmentWise. April 27, 2017. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ Editors, Produced by Digital (June 7, 2022). "Kane Brown Quit 'The X-Factor' After They Tried to Put Him in a Boy Band". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ Yes, I Made It! Kane Brown - THE X FACTOR USA 2013 (youtube.com)
- ^ Cooper, Lorna (January 11, 2010). "Cowell quits American Idol". MSN. Microsoft. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ a b c Stelter, Brian (January 4, 2011). "Pepsi to Sponsor 'American Idol' Rival". The New York Times. p. 3. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
- ^ Slezak, Michael (November 24, 2010). "'The X Factor' exclusive: First look at Fox's promo!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
- ^ Video on YouTube[dead link]
- ^ "Have You Got It? – THE X FACTOR 2011". YouTube. February 4, 2011. Archived from the original on February 14, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ a b "'The X Factor' Winner to Get $5 Million Contract". ABC News. Associated Press. February 7, 2011. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Kearney, Christine; Patricia Reaney (February 7, 2011). "U.S. X-Factor to offer large record deal for winner". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ^ Parker, Lyndsey (September 11, 2013). "Simon Cowell: "The Days of Squawking Judges Are Over!"". 11 September 2013. Yahoo! Music – Reality Rocks. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
- ^ Kwiatkowski, Elizabeth (October 30, 2012). "'The X Factor' acts staying in same mansion that housed 'American Idol' finalists". Reality TV World. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ "The X Factor USA". YouTube. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
- ^ "NewTek". newtek.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012.
- ^ Lindsay Powers (February 7, 2011). "Simon Cowell's X Factor Announces Prize: $5 Million Sony Music Record Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 10, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
- ^ Liam Allen (July 21, 2010). "What is a £1m record deal?". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
- ^ Lara Martin (February 7, 2011). "Cowell admits 'X Factor USA' prize nerves". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
- ^ Wilkes, Neil (January 11, 2010). "Simon Cowell quits American Idol". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on May 2, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ^ "Official: L.A. Reid signed as 'X Factor' judge". Entertainment Weekly. March 18, 2011. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
- ^ "Breaking News: Grammy-winning music mogul Antonio "L.A" Reid to join Simon Cowell as a judge on The X Factor!". The X Factor. Facebook. March 18, 2011. Archived from the original on December 12, 1998. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
- ^ Plunkett, John (May 5, 2011). "Cheryl Cole confirmed as US X Factor judge.'". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
- ^ "Cheryl Cole finally confirmed as judge on US X Factor as Simon Cowell gushes she's 'special'". The Daily Record. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ The X Factor. "FOX Broadcasting Company — The X Factor USA — Simon Cowell's Brand New Singing Competition Comes To America Only On FOX". Thexfactor.blogs.fox.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ "'X Factor' shake-up: Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger out". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
- ^ Gil Kaufman (May 21, 2013). "Kelly Rowland And Paulina Rubio Officially Join 'X Factor'". MTV News. Viacom. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ McGonigle, Molly (March 25, 2011). "Simon Cowell on 'Idol': 'I watched it once' | Story | Wonderwall". Wonderwall.msn.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ "Cowell may prefer having two hosts for 'X Factor' – CTV News". Ctv.ca. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ "Elyse Taylor on Gisele and Victoria's Secret". vogue.com.au. Archived from the original on April 17, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- ^ Hibberd, James (April 28, 2011). "The X Factor: Corbin Bleu in talks to co-host | Inside TV | EW.com". Insidetv.ew.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ Daniels, Colin (May 8, 2011). "Nicole Scherzinger, Steve Jones to host 'X Factor' USA". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
- ^ "Steve Jones insists he is still up for US X Factor job | TV: Latest News | STV Entertainment". Entertainment.stv.tv. March 25, 2011. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ "Khloe Kardashian axed from X Factor USA after just ONE series". Yahoo! omg!. March 5, 2013. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ "Complete List Of 2011–12 Season TV Show Viewership: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'American Idol,' 'NCIS' & 'Dancing With The Stars' – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ "Thursday Final Ratings: No Adults 18–49 Adjustments To 'The X Factor,' 'Who's Still Standing?' Or 'Prime Suspect'". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (September 12, 2012). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'The Voice' 'The X Factor' & 'Big Brother' Adjusted Up, No Adjustments for 'America's Got Talent' or 'Guys With Kids'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 16, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (May 29, 2013). "Complete 2012–2013 TV Season Series Rankings". Zap2it. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013.
- ^ "Full 2013-2014 TV Season Series Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. May 22, 2014. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ^ Piper, Dean (December 11, 2011). "Nicole Scherzinger faces the axe after US X Factor backlash". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
- ^ Geno (December 14, 2011). "Geno's World: Nicole Scherzinger On Receiving Death Threats Over Rachel Crow's 'X Factor' Elimination". Genogenogeno.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
- ^ Hibberd, James (January 30, 2012). "'X Factor' shake-up: Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger out". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ Etkin, Jaimie (November 21, 2011). "Nicole Scherzinger on Judging The X Factor and Her Album Killer Love". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ "NLCS Championship Series delays X Factor Top 16 reveal". MSN. October 7, 2012. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
- ^ "'The X Factor' Screws Up Live Vote, Contestants to Sing Again". Variety. November 7, 2013. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "XFactor | Watch the xFactor Online — xFactor on CTV". Ctv.ca. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ "TV3 näitab USA "X-Factori" värskeimat hooaega" (in Estonian). Elu24.ee. October 7, 2011. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
- ^ "ANT1 will air US X Factor". Greece. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ^ 2011. 10. 02. 11:20 – Írta: winnie (October 2, 2011). "Emlékeztető: The X Factor US at Sorozatjunkie". Sorozatjunkie.hu. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "The X Factor USA — Shows". TV3. Archived from the original on December 17, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ "Foxlife". Foxlife.pl. Archived from the original on December 24, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ "X Factor U.S premiering on Singapore, Channel 5". xinmsn. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "News Corporation". Newscorp.com. June 9, 2011. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ "Fox Broadcasting Company, Syco Television and FremantleMedia Announce Sony as Official Consumer... – SAN DIEGO, July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/" (Press release). California: Prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ "Verizon Wireless Becomes 'X Factor' Sponsor And Hawks Mobile App –". Deadline Hollywood.com. September 22, 2011. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
- ^ Pomerantz, Dorothy (April 10, 2012). "TV's Biggest Moneymakers". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ^ Crupi, Anthony (September 6, 2013). "Pepsi, GM Bail on Fox's X Factor". Adweek. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
- ^ "Simon Cowell to quit The X Factor again to relaunch the American version in 2015". Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
- ^ Tinoco, Armando (November 1, 2022). "Simon Cowell Says U.S. Networks Want 'The X-Factor' Back, Reveals U.K. Version Would Return "More Likely Than Not" In 2024". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ Campione, Katie (December 30, 2022). "Simon Cowell In Talks With NBC For New U.S. Version Of 'The X Factor'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 31, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
External links
[edit]- The X Factor at IMDb
- The X Factor (American TV series)
- 2010s American music television series
- 2011 American television series debuts
- 2013 American television series endings
- American television series based on British television series
- American English-language television shows
- Fox Broadcasting Company reality television shows
- Music competitions in the United States
- Television series by Fremantle (company)