SIMON COWELL Eyes Facebook Voting For The X-Factor!




FOX, along with Simon Cowell and the producers of ‘X-Factor‘ are in talks with Facebook to bring online voting to the upcoming U.S. version of the singing competition, according to The Hollywood Reporter.


The plans, which are currently being negotiated, will allow voting via Facebook but only during the final rounds of the show, scheduled to launch in the U.S. on Fox this autumn, and it would happen alongside a traditional phone voting system. The fine details and security issues are still being worked out, and an insider says that a deal could fall apart or the system might not work out in time for the show’s first season. However, the plan is for viewers to be able to vote for contestants via their own Facebook page or an X-Factor app. The roll-out would be part of an innovative global partnership with Facebook that would include all versions of X-Factor around the world.

Facebook, with 550 million users worldwide, is by far the largest social networking website in the U.S., giving X-Factor a huge promotional platform and an opportunity for fans to engage with the show via a service most already use. Facebook would also benefit from a lucrative partnership with X-Factor, which will arrive in September amid massive hype due to Cowell’s fame from Idol and his huge success with X-Factor over here in the UK.

Interesting that they haven’t gone with MySpace since, like Fox, it’s owned by Rupert Murdoch‘s News Corp. This season’s American Idol allowed potential singing hopefuls to submit a video of themselves via MySpace.


Whatever the reason for entering into these negotiations, reps at Fox, Facebook, Cowell and his Syco Television have declined to give an official explanation.



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