[Chapter 455: America's Got Talent, SpongeBob SquarePants]
"Alright, I like your spirit and drive. In my opinion, MCA Television Network and UPN Television Network are on an even playing field. Both should aim to challenge the Big Four networks," Linton declared.
"You're a wise boss. We at MCA will definitely give it our all," Melman responded earnestly.
"Okay, enough flattery. I've already prepared two shows for you," Linton said with a smile.
"Two? Two shows?" Melman was surprised at the sudden good fortune. The big boss was handing him not one, but two programs.
"Yes. One is a variety show called America's Got Talent, a reality competition selecting talent from the public. The other is SpongeBob SquarePants, a children's animated program." As he spoke, Linton handed Melman two project proposals.
"America's Got Talent, a variety show, and SpongeBob SquarePants, an animated series. That's fantastic, thank you, boss."
"America's Got Talent is a flagship program in my book. If done well, it can easily outperform Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. But the difficulty is higher, so you have to take it seriously. Don't mess this up."
"Really? Even stronger than Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
"Definitely, and by a wide margin. Its earning potential isn't even in the same league. Please don't let me down."
"Boss, rest assured, I will give it my all."
"As for SpongeBob SquarePants, I've already handed the proposal over to Sky Digital. They're currently working on production. You should coordinate with them and negotiate collaboration based on UPN's cooperation model."
"Thank you, boss. With these two shows, MCA will surely surpass UPN."
"Good. I like your ambition. I hope MCA can quickly transform and launch a strong challenge against the Big Four networks."
...
In Linton's previous life, America's Got Talent was a super IP worth over $30 billion.
Just the American version aired 20 consecutive seasons and was still ongoing when he traveled through time. Every summer, it garnered extremely high ratings.
Got Talent was originally developed by Simon Cowell in 2005, and its influence exploded worldwide. It was later introduced in more than 150 countries and regions, bringing massive wealth to the British ITV.
The licensing fees paid by NBC alone during the first five years reached $70 million, with an additional 15% share of program revenues per season.
During the next five years, the base licensing fee surged to $120 million, plus again 15% revenue sharing per season.
Countless singers and actors became famous because of the show, and related commercial tie-in revenues were enormous.
The rules were simple: the winning prize was set at $1 million. Contestants of any age, region, race, or performance style could participate.
Contestants competed for judges' and audience's recognition by displaying their talents ranging from singing, dancing, playing instruments, magic, to acrobatics.
The selection process involved three judges using instant red lights to eliminate performers -- three red lights ended the performance. To advance, contestants needed at least two judges' approval. Through multiple rounds, a final winner was selected.
The whole competition included producer pre-screening, judge preliminary selection, semi-finals, and finals. The finals were decided by audience votes until a champion emerged.
Early stages were edited and compiled into a variety show for broadcast; semi-finals and finals were aired live.
...
Though the rules were simple, producing the show well was anything but. It was a huge undertaking. At the time, UPN Television Network recently acquired from Viacom was in disarray internally with weak production and operational capabilities.
It was impossible for them to make such a show, let alone operate it well. UPN was only suitable for simpler programs, like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which had been a proper choice. This was proven correct in hindsight.
Originally, the plan was to wait a couple of years until the hype for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire calmed down and when UPN improved their capabilities before entrusting them with America's Got Talent.
Unexpectedly, Linton purchased Universal and took control of MCA Television Network in a short time. Given MCA's strong production and operational strength, handing America's Got Talent to them was no problem.
In fact, MCA needed a hit show like this to accelerate their growth.
...
Regarding SpongeBob SquarePants, the storyline mainly revolved around the protagonist SpongeBob and his friends Patrick Star, neighbor Squidward, and boss Mr. Krabs. The setting was a city on the ocean floor called Bikini Bottom.
SpongeBob was a yellow, square sponge who lived in a pineapple under the sea.
His pet was a sea snail that meowed like a cat. SpongeBob loved catching jellyfish and worked as the top chef at the Krusty Krab. Patrick and Sandy were his friends.
SpongeBob always managed to stir up trouble in the otherwise peaceful world, constantly getting into amusing mishaps. Yet he always escaped danger and created new chaos.
The show was full of childlike whimsy and imaginative ocean adventures. The production did not require top-level animation technology or spectacular visuals, but kids loved it for the characters and humor.
Sky Digital wasn't a leading special effects company, certainly far behind Industrial Light & Magic or Pixar in animation tech. However, they were more than capable of producing SpongeBob SquarePants.
In the previous timeline, the show debuted on Nickelodeon in 1999 and was beloved by children worldwide, winning numerous awards and even adapted into two movies.
It was syndicated to over 100 countries, generating massive licensing revenue.
More importantly, the largest profit driver wasn't advertising or licensing fees but merchandise and licensing rights.
In the previous life, SpongeBob SquarePants generated over $13 billion in merchandise revenue for Nickelodeon, with net profits nearing $10 billion after costs.
Previously, Linton lacked overseas distribution capabilities, so UPN's Teletubbies merchandise revenue was typically bundled with program rights sold to foreign networks, which was a considerable loss.
Now, having Universal under his wing with global distribution capabilities, those merchandise incomes could be maximized.
Especially with Universal Studios as a unique channel, the merchandise revenue might even surpass previous records.
With these two flagship shows, MCA's growth was expected to enter the fast track quickly, fostering healthy competition against UPN.
*****
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