By B&C Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/23/2008 4:13:00 PM
Warner Bros is suing CBS for more than $49 million it says it is owed over Two and a Half Men.
The litigation, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles, centers on Warners claim that if the show got picked up for a fifth and sixth season and met certain ratings targets, CBS had agreed to pay the studio a portion of deficits incurred over the first four years, as well as premiums on the license fees for years five and six.
Warners says that was part of the deal made with CBS in 2003 when the sides cut a deal for one season plus a series of three one-year options for the new comedy.
Warners claims in the suit that as the show developed into a breakout hit, the studio racked up deficits totaling more than $61 million for the show’s first four seasons.
It says the license fee was $750,000 per episode in year one, with “modest” gains each following year.
Neither Warner Bros nor CBS would comment. Men is not only a key player in the relative success this fall of CBS, which just reported year-over-year gains in viewers, but has also launched a successful syndication run.
The lawsuit was first reported by TMZ.com.
Digital Rapids is the leading provider of professional hardware and software tools, technology and expertise for bringing video to wider audiences and new viewing platforms. Continuing to set new standards in quality, productivity and versatility...
more
Akamai provides market-leading managed services for powering rich media, dynamic transactions, and enterprise applications online. Having pioneered the content delivery market one decade ago, Akamai's services have been adopted by the world's most...
more
Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from...
more
At Trylon SMR, we are dedicated Public Relations professionals solely serving clients in the media, technology, telecommunications, and related industries. We understand the specialized types of audiences our clients need to reach and the best...
more
A leader in online technology, content & revenue solutions, WorldNow is the only company to provide comprehensive technology platforms & strategic advertising services, enabling media companies to expand to the digital realm with innovative Web...
more
In this week's edition of B&C Tech Talk, senior editor Glen Dickson talks about Scripps Television becoming the latest station group to consolidate its graphics operations with Chyron's Internet-based Axis system
