FX Lands 'Avatar' TV Rights

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FX has acquired the broadcast television and basic cable rights to the $1 billion box office hit Avatar from its sister company Twentieth Century Fox, the network said Thursday.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, although the L.A. Timesestimated the price tag to be north of $25 million.

It's
unclear when Fx will debut the film, but sources close to the situation
say the multi-year window could begin as early as 2012.

The Jim
Cameron-produced, film has generated more than $350 million in U.S. box
office sales and more than $1 billion internationally.

The deal continues an FX rights-acquisition run on box office hits that includes Transformers: Rise Of The Fallen; The Hangover; 2012; and the Twilight franchise.

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.