Chapter 209: Offers

As the car drove down the road, Eric laughed and said, "I really didn't expect that besides the three major TV stations, even cable TV stations such as HBO would send someone. But, why did Michael Eisner send someone?"

Friends has achieved an unprecedented feat in the TV industry. Thanks to the pride he gained from being chased by bigwigs of the TV industry, Alan was also a little excited when he heard Eric’s question. After thinking for a while, he replied, "I think Mr. Eisner sent someone on behalf of ABC."

Hearing Alan’s remark, Eric instantly recalled the acquisition of ABC by Disney that took place during his previous life. However, although Eric was not certain of the exact year of the acquisition, he did remember that it was around the end of ‘90s. So, why did Michael Eisner send someone on behalf of ABC now in 1991?

Noticing the puzzled expression on Eric’s face from the rearview mirror, Alan quickly elaborated, "Disney and ABC have always had a close working relationship. Even when I was a kid, Disney cartoons aired only on ABC."

Eric was quiet for a few minutes before he said, "Alan, take two days to gather all the information regarding Disney and ABC’s past cooperation." He paused before adding, "Actually, gather all the information regarding the relationship between the other major TV stations and Hollywood’s Big Six studios."

"No problem, but it may take around a week or so," Alan replied.

"Take your time, there’s no hurry, but make sure that the information is accurate."

"Alright. By the way, Eric, where are we going now?" Alan asked again.

In public, Alan addressed Eric as Mr. Williams, but in private, he simply called him by his name. This was actually something Eric told him to do. After all, Alan was in his late-twenties, almost ten years older than Eric. If he addressed him formally even in private, Eric himself would feel awkward.

Eric casually replied, "Home; it’s pretty late at night. There’s no hurry so we don’t need to disturb anyone. I’ll just make a call to Jeffrey and the others."

***

Back at Eric’s Beverly Hills mansion, Alan and the driver helped move his luggage inside.

Drew, who had been waiting for Eric to return, jumped on the pile of luggage and started looking for gifts without waiting for the outsiders to leave. Eric lightly knocked on her forehead before sending Alan and the driver away.

"Over the next few days, if Fox contacts you, find an excuse to avoid them. If other TV stations contact you, take some time and meet them."

Standing at the door of the mansion, Eric informed Alan.

Alan is also aware that Eric is planning to play hard to get with Fox, but he still asked, doubtfully, "Eric, what if Murdoch himself comes?"

"He won't," Eric confidently answered, "Previously, sending a private plane to Venice to pick me up was just Fox’s way of expressing sincerity for the subsequent negotiations. In fact, it showed that they were a little anxious to begin negotiations. If old Murdoch appears in person, then naturally I will slaughter Fox TV like a fat sheep."

"Eric, do you plan to switch Friends to a different TV station?" Alan subconsciously asked, but regretted it right as he finished speaking since it was a sensitive matter.

Naturally, Eric wouldn’t tell Alan about his plans. Although Alan has always been clear-headed and loyal, it is difficult to guarantee that he will not reveal some things in the face of temptation. The surest way of ensuring anyone’s loyalty is to reveal as little as possible to them so that the opponent is not able to tempt them into betrayal no matter how many chips they employ. If his opponents learn of his plans through Alan, it would become difficult for Eric to get the most benefit from them.

However, he also noticed from Alan's expression that he had unintentionally asked the question, so he replied with a smile, "Well, that depends on the offers by the different parties. We will naturally choose the one with the best offer."

Alan nodded and refrained from asking any more as he quickly left.

***

Back at the villa, Drew picked up the phone in the living room, so Eric had to spend a long time on the phone like the morning when the ratings of Friends were released. This time, Rupert Murdoch had personally called and invited Eric to have lunch the next afternoon. Eric made a few random reasons and declined his invitation.

He planned to at least publicly get in touch with the three major TV stations, so that Fox would feel a sense of urgency. Then, he would negotiate with them so as to maximize his benefits. Although the other major TV stations were very eager, Eric had never had any intention of switching Friends to a different TV station.

Compared to the "youthful" Fox, the three major TV stations are like gray-haired old men. Even if they cooperate with him, it is inevitable that they will attempt to establish their supremacy. However, Fox is different.

Eric knows that in just another decade Fox will almost be on the same level as the three major TV stations. But apart from Eric himself, even Murdoch, the head of News Corporation, would not expect this. He lacks confidence in the prospects of Fox TV without Friends. As a result, ensuring that it remains on Fox is very important to him.

***

The next day, the first thing Eric did was to visit the cast of Friends. Afterwards, at noon, under the introduction of Michael Eisner, he met with a Senior Vice President of ABC who came to Los Angeles. After eating together, he went to meet an NBC executive in the evening with Robert Shaye. He spent the entire next morning playing golf with the head of CBS’s Los Angeles branch.

Actually, the offers presented by the three major TV stations were quite very generous. They didn’t even mention anything about buying out the episodes at a fixed price. They directly proposed to allow him to obtain a share of the show’s advertising revenue which is where the big bucks lie. And according to the information Eric read previously, the proportion of the advertising revenue’s share they quoted was quite high. In addition, the three major TV stations also revealed their intention to intercept Fox and take over the remaining episodes in the first season of Friends.

During these contacts, Eric also realized that the three major TV stations must have reached some consensus before, and may have even formed a loose alliance. But such an "alliance" could be easily blown away by a light gust of wind. The three major TV stations are in fierce competition with each other. Although they occasionally cooperate, each station strives to earn better ratings than the other two stations. Naturally, in the matter of Friends, each of them likely have their own plans since Friends is destined to become the trump card on any TV station.

Although the three major TV stations had reached a prior consensus, when it actually came to getting the show, they were each looking to beat the other two which allowed Eric to implement his plans smoothly without too much pressure. After all, if the three major TV giants of North America jointly pressurized him, he would certainly have to consider the consequences of offending all three of them by ultimately leaving Friends with Fox.