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Simon Cowell ‘in talks to launch new Netflix talent show’
Simon Cowell might be about to launch his first ever show for a streaming service, according to recent reports.
The 60-year-old, who became a household name after heading up competition formats including The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, has reportedly organised a meeting with a top Netflix boss to discuss ideas for a new series.
“Simon’s moving with the times and thinks that his formats could work for Netflix,” a source explained.
“A meeting with his team and their Content Acquisition team has been pencilled in for September.
“Simon has a proven track record of success with Got Talent and The X Factor – but he wants to move with the times and see what Netflix think of some of their new TV ideas.
“They still believe there is life in talent shows and Simon is keen to see if they could make something work on Netflix.
The insider continued to The Sun: “It’s early days but it’s all very exciting. Simon is an ideas man and loves when his team come up with wacky new ideas.
“And they think Netflix could be the perfect home for some of their ideas.”
Standard Online has contacted Netflix for comment.
The news comes after Cowell announced he was walking away from his record label Syco following four decades working in the music industry, in order to focus his energy on the massively successful Got Talent franchise.
America’s Got Talent already drops weekly on Netflix UK giving British viewers the chance to see the most skilled performers from across the pond.
While Got Talent has been successful in recent years, the same can’t be said for The X Factor, which has failed to pull in the huge audience it once did.
At its peak, The X Factor was watched by nearly 14 million people on average.
However, its most recent iterations, X Factor: Celebrity and X Factor: The Band, had significantly less viewers, with the latter only peaking at 2.75 million viewers.
The show has since been rested for 2020 in order to freshen up the format.
A production source said: “Simon is planning to rest The X Factor this year. He and the producers want to take a breath to really think through the show and how to reinvigorate it for the future. And they don’t believe they can do that if they go straight into another cycle of the show this year.
“Although The X Factor is contracted for one more series, ITV totally understand the rationale behind the idea of resting it this year and want to give Simon and the team the time to do what they feel is right."
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