Virgin1 Picks Up FME’s American Inventor

LONDON, February 7: The
Virgin Media Television-owned entertainment channel Virgin1 has acquired American
Inventor from FremantleMedia Enterprises
(FME), featuring panelists Peter Jones, George Foreman, Pat Croce and Sara
Blakely.

The deal covers two
seasons of the prime-time reality show, which is from business tycoon Peter
Jones and his company Peter Jones TV and American Idol judge Simon Cowell’s company, SyCo TV. The show
aired in the U.S. on ABC and has garnered significant ratings with some 14
million viewers.

American Inventor watches aspiring inventors from across the U.S.
compete for a $1 million prize for the best new invention and hottest new
retail product. Following casting calls across the U.S., the show’s judging
panel— Peter Jones, George Foreman, Pat Croce and Sara
Blakely—narrows down the competition, culminating in a national vote to
decide the winning invention.

Virgin1’s head of
acquisitions, Amy Barham, said, “Virgin1's spring schedule is all about
populist, broad entertainment and American Inventor fits the bill perfectly. Fun, hilarious and with a
compelling and genuine story at heart, the show is pure entertainment and
really embodies what Virgin1 stands for.”

Justin Hatfield, FME’s VP
of sales for the U.K. and Eire, Scandinavia and Benelux, added, “I am very pleased that we have concluded this deal
with Virgin1—it further builds on the great relationship we have with
them. In American Inventor V1
has very strong entertainment show that perfectly fits their profile and
audience expectation. This show has also established itself a big success with
our other international broadcast partners—another leading hit from our
stable of top international entertainment brands.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski