Fox Floats "24" on MySpace

Further aligning the interests of MySpace with parent company News Corp., the social network on Monday said it will start selling episodes of Fox's hit series "24" next week. The tactic is a first for MySpace, which is under pressure to convert its huge popularity into profits.

Episodes from the first five seasons of "24" will cost $1.99 each. As part of a sponsorship deal between Burger King and Fox, however, fans' first two episodes are on The King.

"It's the ultimate 'Have It Your Way' experience," Gillian Smith, senior director of media for Burger King, said in a statement. "We're giving consumers what they want with the choice of free shows--wherever and whenever they want to watch them--and the ability to talk about those shows in the social networking environment of MySpace."

Fox is also taking the opportunity on Monday to create a MySpace page for the "24" series, which the network's members will be able to attach their names to as "friends."

Over the last year, News Corp. head Rupert Murdoch has formed Fox Interactive Media, and spent $1.3 billion on Internet companies--but an overarching strategy has been slow to take shape. In March, Fox Interactive Media President Ross Levinsohn told attendees at a Merrill Lynch conference of plans to deepen the connection between MySpace and Fox.

Monday's news suggests that Fox indeed sees MySpace and its membership base of some 70 million young people as at least one platform for building brands like "24," as well as selling downloads.

"Our members are avid fans of these shows and are consuming video at a rapid pace, making MySpace the perfect distribution channel for programmers looking to innovate new models," Levinsohn said in a statement.

Just last week, Fox began selling current and archived shows piecemeal on iTunes--the last of the major TV networks to partner with Apple. 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Television Studios together are offering 16 shows consisting of over 250 separate episodes. iTunes users can now download episodes of "24," "The Shield," or "Lost in Space," to name a few, for $1.99 each.

Also offered at launch will be an episode of SPEED's "Pinks" and FUEL TV's "FirstHand."

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