• by Wayne Friedman , August 3, 2018

With half of 21st Century Fox going to Walt Disney -- including its TV production studio -- the Fox broadcast network will be depending on others for entertainment content.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association meeting in Beverly Hills, Dana Walden, chairman-CEO of Fox Television Group, said: “We will have a co-ownership stake in the shows that we order. That's just commonplace in our business right now, as space on a network schedule is incredibly valuable.”

A decade ago, TV producers -- not connected by ownership to TV networks -- would make license deals to run their shows in prime time. Those producers would also maintain total ownership. No longer.

For many years now, all major English-speaking broadcast networks have had their own sister TV production companies — where they get a majority of their prime-time programming.

For example, Walden says that last season, 90% of Fox TV development came from its own studio. But now, in a transition year, she said the network will be reducing that number to 50%, with the remainder coming from independent studios.

Many independent studios have faced challenges in getting their shows on broadcast TV networks -- but things will be different for them now at Fox.

“They'll have more opportunity because the independents will be on a completely even playing field. I'm talking about companies like Sony, MGM, Lionsgate and Warner [Bros] ... We want to be their first choice among the big four networks,” she said.

Walden notes that current prime-time shows come from various independent studios, including ABC’s "Roseanne," (Carsey-Werner) and CBS’ "The Big Bang Theory" (Warner Bros.).

In making the deal to sell off its TV and movie studio to Walt Disney — as well as other assets, including FX networks, equity interests in Hulu, Sky and Star India — Fox is focusing on live sports, events and news, the latter on Fox News Channel.

But Walden says that when it comes specifically to the Fox Broadcast Network: “it will continue to have the same mix it's had before. ... There's plenty of opportunity for great entertainment shows, and I don't anticipate the mix to change.”

In addition, Gary Newman, chairman-CEO, Fox Television Group, said having all 11 weeks of “Thursday Night Football” will help significantly when it comes to promoting new prime-time shows.