FX Details ‘Radically Increased’ Content Output Following Global Brand Evolution

In the three years since FX was acquired by Disney as part of the Fox deal, “a major transformation” has taken place at the company, said FX chairman John Landgraf—and an even bigger one is unfolding now. “From here forward, you’re about the see the quality and volume of our output meaningfully accelerate,” Landgraf told reporters today at the Television Critics Association’s virtual winter press tour. The acceleration began last December, when Disney repositioned FX as a global programming brand, extending far beyond its U.S. linear networks, and sunset the FX on Hulu branding that it rolled out on the Hulu streaming service in March 2020. FX is now a global brand whose content airs on FX, FXX and Hulu in the U.S., streamer Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories. And the FX logo appears above the title in every one of its shows, no matter which linear or streaming platform it airs on. Disney Repositions FX as Global Programming Brand, Drops FX on Hulu Moniker That global shift “provides us the opportunity to expand our creative bounds and produce a diversity and depth of content programming that previously just didn't exist,” said Landgraf. Disney “is supporting a radically-increased investment in FX and its output of original programming versus anything we were ever able to sustain as a basic cable brand.” To that end, FX will have 11 returning series this year (including Atlanta and Better Things, both of which are ending their runs) and debut 11 new series (including shows based on the novels Under the Banner of Heaven, Fleishman is in Trouble and Kindred) across linear and streaming. It has eight more shows already set for 2023 and 2024, including a fifth season of Fargo, a Justified revival (called Justified: City Primeval), an Alien prequel and epic period drama Shōgun, which Landgraf called “in terms of scale and scope, the most ambitious production in the history of FX.” FXX has also renewed comedy Dave for a third season, which will return in 2023. Landgraf said that Atlanta, which will return March 25 for Season 3 after a four-year absence, will end after its fourth season, which was shot back-to-back with the third, and is expected to air in the fall. “The new season is everything you've come to expect from Atlanta, which is to say, expect the unexpected. Sit back and enjoy the trip,” said Landgraf. Landgraf insists that FX’s quality won’t suffer as its quantity increases. The team determined that it would be able to maintain the same level of content curation and hands-on relationships with creators by making 30 shows a year. Multiple release strategies With more shows released than ever before— last month, FX Content Research estimated there were 559 adult scripted series across broadcast, cable and streaming services in 2021, up 13% from 493 in 2020—it is no longer possible to debut a new series at a time when there aren’t other big premieres elsewhere. “That just puts a higher priority on making every show count in terms of quality and entertainment value, because the only way you can really rise over the din of peak TV is to make something exceptional and something unique,” said Landgraf. Instead of trying to find the right date to debut a show or lead-in to pair it with, Landgraf now focuses on when and how the audience wants to watch a show. As a result, some FX shows will continue to be released weekly, others will debut multiple new episodes a week and still others will have a binge release. Landgraf and his team would prefer a weekly release, “because we really still like the idea of a show being able to sustain a cultural conversation and for people to sit back and assess an episode at a time,” he said, but added that is tougher to do in this environment, especially with new shows. “I'm just trying to sort the best thing to do in each case for each individual show as much as I can,” said Landgraf, who worries about audience confusion over the different release schedules, not only from FX but its rivals. FX’s linear future With FX’s global evolution and brand focus, Landgraf no longer runs FX’s linear networks, which are overseen by Chuck Saftler, head of Business operations, and Debra OConnell, president of networks, both from Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. Right now, both FX and FXX “are doing really well right now within the linear ecosystem,” said Landgraf. However, “if our linear shows were not able to go next day on Hulu, they would all be declining at a rapid rapid rate,” said Landgraf. But factoring in the Hulu audience for those programs, “they are actually all growing at a rapid, rapid rate.” The company plans to sustain the same linear output of new shows for at least the next few years, while “radically ramping up the number of new shows on streaming,” with most of FX’s new shows going exclusively to Hulu,” said Landgraf. Streaming continues to be an increasing area of focus for FX. Disney now has 196 million total streaming subscribers, “and we want to contribute as much as we possibly can to that success story,” he said.