Talent Show Or Promotional Gift? The Real Attraction Of The X Factor
The television juggernaut that is The X Factor rolls into its final stop this weekend
as Britain waits with baited breath to discover who will win the 2010 series. The show has reached new levels of popularity this year, with controversies and newspaper headlines starting even before the live shows began, driving audiences into the tens of millions. Industry experts predict the audience for this year's final will peak at over 20 million, making it and its sister show "Britain's Got Talent" easily the most watched programmes of the year.
It doesn't stop there as this giant of a show is set to steamroller its way into the States next year, bringing with it a gigantic audience and worldwide syndication. Soon there won't be anywhere to hide from the super karaoke show that dominates the last quarter of the year.
On the face of it the winner will be announced tomorrow, with the one deemed the most talented or the most entertaining rewarded for their efforts with a recording contract and the promise of a bright future in the entertainment industry.
The real winners of the X Factor though aren't the ones on the stage, they are the production companies, record labels and networks behind this enterprise that stand to win the biggest prize of all.
The success of the X Factor has made it a promotional gift for ITV, giving the recently ailing network a chance to make some much needed revenue from various promotional avenues. Advertising revenues have taken a real hit in the last few years, with the internet marketing revolution combined with the recession making a perfect advertising storm that has hit the commercial channels hard. Those who are reliant on money generated from selling advertising space have seen their incomes plummet over recent years, and shows like the X Factor have offered ITV some vital relief at the most important time.
Industry experts have speculated that thirty second advertising spots for this weekend's final will weigh in at 235,000 - 300,000, making it some of the most expensive promotional real estate in British TV. Just as the internet and the recession have combined to create havoc for commercial channels in the UK, the success of the X Factor combined with some of the canniest promotional brains in the business have combined to make mega money for the companies involved.
The reach of the X Factor isn't even limited to the TV any more. Its online presence grows year on year, capitalising on the increasingly lucrative market for online advertising by offering yet more commercial space on their website. The revenue streams don't stop there, and this year in conjunction with the commercial space on offer, you can now download your favourite acts' performance on ITunes (for a small fee of course), buy The X Factor Magazine and even buy the video game.
Whether you like the show and the characters or hate what the whole thing stands for, you can't help but be impressed by how one Saturday night television show has managed to capture the audiences' attention and exploit its commercial success to such massive extremes. The success of the series winners may waver over the years, (anyone remember Steve Brookstein?!), but the commercial success of the show has proven to be a promotional gift for the broadcaster, production company and guest acts who appear on the show to ply their wares.
If you are on the side of those who hate it then you might want to brace yourself for an X Factor onslaught next year when it hits the States and the promotional machine promises to go into overdrive.
One thing is for sure, if it continues to divide offices, spark controversy, cause debate and get journalists and bloggers (including this one) filling their columns with free publicity, The X Factor will continue to be a
promotional gift that just keeps on giving.
by: Alan Grainger
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