Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) will team up with iHeartMedia on the new music competition series THE FOUR: BATTLE FOR STARDOM. FOX, home to seminal music-infused series such as Glee, Empire and Star, will work with iHeartMedia, with its more than a quarter billion monthly listeners in the U.S., to support auditions, assist in the search for talent and boost the careers of artists throughout the run of the competition. As part of the grand prize, the winner of THE FOUR: BATTLE FOR STARDOM will also be part of iHeartMedia’s coveted “On the Verge” artist development program, which will support the winning talent with airplay across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide.
The campaign combines the multiplatform scale and reach of both companies, aligning the power of the FOX broadcast network with iHeartMedia’s national footprint, which includes its more than 850 live radio stations across the country; iHeartRadio, its digital music, podcasting and live streaming service; more than 122 million social followers; and its nationally recognized live events, including the iHeartRadio Music Festival and the iHeartRadio Music Awards. THE FOUR initiative follows the recent launch by Fox Networks Group and iHeartMedia of Smart A/V Audiences, the first suite of data-driven advertising products to integrate both audio and video creative units into one platform.
THE FOUR: BATTLE FOR STARDOM begins where most competitions end: with the four finalists. Four super-talented singers, chosen from auditions by the show, will defend their coveted spots on the stage, as they are challenged individually by new singers determined to replace them. If the existing four outperform their challengers, they survive to sing another week, until the end of the season, when the final four face off against each other. Only one will claim the ultimate prize for an aspiring artist: a team of elite star-makers – the series’ panel of judges – all committed to launching and guiding the winner’s music career.
“With our deep history of shaping pop music culture – from Glee, which defied the odds to make musical series cool; to the multi-hit-producing Empire; to Grease: Live, which reinvented the live musical for today’s audiences; and American Idol, the original star-maker – FOX is uniquely credentialed to bring viewers THE FOUR: BATTLE FOR STARDOM,” said Rob Wade, President, Alternative Entertainment and Specials, Fox Broadcasting Company. “Teaming up with iHeartMedia supercharges our proven ability to launch musical artists into the mainstream, and we can’t wait to get started.”
“At iHeartMedia we pride ourselves on discovering and breaking new talent,” said John Sykes, iHeartMedia’s President of Entertainment Enterprises. “Our ‘On the Verge’ initiative has helped launch the careers of artists like Sam Smith, Fifth Harmony, Nick Jonas and many others. We are excited to collaborate with FOX to find the next new artist who will receive this rare opportunity.
