章 216: Chapter 216: A Tangled Mess
[Chapter 216: A Tangled Mess]
For Rupert Murdoch, that fleeting minute felt unusually long.
Murdoch had initially hoped that the young man before him could manage to calm himself down. However, as the numbers rapidly spilled from Eric's lips, Murdoch found himself struggling to remain composed.
He began to calculate the stakes quickly. Eric was right; if Fox Television missed this opportunity, it would lose what might have been its best and only chance at a breakout. If they failed, and Fox managed to settle quietly and build up again, that wouldn't be much of an issue. However, after their miraculous ratings, the three major networks were keenly aware of the threat that Fox posed to their standing, and they wouldn't allow the once-faltering network to flourish quietly.
Having navigated the treacherous waters of the media industry for decades, Murdoch was no stranger to deceitful tactics and brutal competition. Back when he left Australia to expand his business in the UK, he faced the fiercest opposition from competitors who resorted to any means necessary to undermine him as an outsider. There was even an instance where a group of kidnappers mistakenly abducted the wife of a News Corp manager, thinking she was his own, and when they realized their mistake, the poor woman was killed.
Now, he found himself in America, and Murdoch was certain that the competitive landscape in North America was just as ruthless as it had been in the UK, if not more.
In less than thirty seconds, countless thoughts raced through Murdoch's mind. Across from him, Eric continued to watch his watch, unfazed, counting down methodically.
"9...8...7...6..."
In those final seconds, Murdoch sighed deeply and waved a hand, saying, "Eric, stop counting. I'll agree to you."
...
Upon hearing Murdoch's words, Eric paused for a moment and, as if out of habit, slowly finished counting the remaining digits before lifting his gaze. His seeming lack of urgency belied a maturity that contradicted his youthful appearance. Though Murdoch's threats loomed greater than the mere distraction of the deal's stakes, he wasn't about to act recklessly.
He was gambling, betting that there was over a seventy percent chance that Murdoch would agree, simply because Fox needed it so desperately.
Of course, Eric had also considered what might happen if Murdoch refused. Even if the negotiations collapsed, he could be sure that once that countdown finished, he could simply walk away. Murdoch would certainly come back to him because he couldn't genuinely cut off ties with Fox Television. After Fox's overtures, Murdoch would inevitably come back to the table for renegotiation.
However, if that happened, it would give Fox insight into his bottom line. At that point, the chance to obtain a ten percent stake in Fox would be lost forever.
But based on Murdoch's response after Eric laid out his proposal, Eric believed he had no real chance to secure that ten percent.
Then again, when Murdoch heard about the potential transfer to ABC, he had made a veiled threat using his "women," which gave Eric a reason to push the limits.
"It's understandable for a young man who has tasted success to act a little hot-headed," Eric thought. Given that the chances of securing the ten percent stake were already slim, he decided to take a gamble.
Murdoch ultimately didn't dare take that risk. He feared that Eric might leave in a huff, cutting off all chances of working with Fox Television and transferring the opportunity to ABC. If the worst came to pass, there would be no turning back.
Thus, he won the gamble.
Even though Murdoch nodded in agreement, Eric didn't show any signs of delight. He simply picked up the coffee pot in front of him and poured himself another cup, savoring it as he waited for Murdoch to speak first.
...
Murdoch, with his keen instincts, quickly realized that he might have just been outmaneuvered.
Change of heart!
That was Murdoch's first thought.
If earlier, Eric had been pretending to be angry to exert pressure on him, then if he immediately reversed course now, Eric might really walk out.
After battling in the media landscape for over thirty years, losing to a punk was not something Murdoch would accept.
Since he couldn't afford to turn against Eric immediately, Murdoch would need to try to salvage the situation.
"Eric, I can give you a ten percent stake in Fox Television, but you should know that if you take this TV series and try to negotiate the same deal with the big three networks, they might throw you out of their offices. So, one show is far from enough. You need to... hmm..." Murdoch paused, then continued, "You need to provide two more excellent shows for Fox. Of course, I'm aware that achieving such a level is tough, so as long as those two shows average a rating of 15 million viewers, I will agree to transfer the shares to you."
Upon hearing this condition, Eric nearly burst out laughing.
If Murdoch had proposed something else, it might have been a challenge, but when it came to high-rated dramas, Eric could not only deliver two shows; he could easily sum up twenty.
However, Eric also picked up on another issue buried in Murdoch's words. Murdoch had clearly stated that he wouldn't transfer the shares until Eric provided two high-rated shows for Fox.
That was impossible. He was sure that if he delivered three shows to Fox, and upon seeing great ratings come in, Murdoch would be less inclined to give him any stake, not wanting to tarnish his own reputation. By then, with the shows aired and achieving high ratings, Fox would have built a ready audience, and the next steps were clear: discard the weak links.
"Mr. Murdoch, I can bring Fox two more shows, and I am confident about exceeding 15 million views as I have several excellent ideas. However, I don't engage in these word games. Today is the 8th, and the 10th is the re-air date. If Fox has not demonstrated a willingness to transfer equity before the evening of the 10th, I cannot guarantee what will happen," Eric said, preparing to rise.
If Eric had just stated the latter part of his argument, Murdoch might have let him leave. But hearing Eric mention he had several good ideas again stirred something in Murdoch. His mention of those two shows surpassing a 15 million rating seemed aimed at sabotaging his earlier promises.
An average rating exceeding 15 million for any new American drama was an uphill battle. The combined output of all the North American networks rarely topped a few shows that accomplished that each year, most of which were sequels of established hits. For a brand new drama to achieve that would be nothing short of miraculous, which made the news of a first-season premiere that drew over 30 million viewers all the more astounding.
So, upon seeing Eric prepare to leave, Murdoch hastily waved to stop him: "Wait, Eric, how could I play these word games with you? You have to believe that if I agreed to your condition, I would never back out. So, let's sit down and discuss your... ideas?"
"Oh please," Eric thought bitterly. He was already tired of the conversation and found confronting Murdoch to drain. With a false step, he could so easily fall into one of Murdoch's traps. Yet, hearing Murdoch's question, Eric found himself unable to leave.
"Actually, here's what I'm thinking, Mr. Murdoch. I can deliver two TV dramas; however, boosting a network's influence requires more than just dramas. Along with providing another drama of different type for Fox, I plan to create a variety show for Fox that I assure you can average ratings of over 20 million if executed well."
Murdoch's heart skipped a beat as he asked, "Eric, could you share your vision for that variety show?"
Eric smiled and shook his head: "Mr. Murdoch, I already mentioned, I want to see Fox's preliminary proposal for share transfer by the 10th. Until then, there is no need to discuss anything further."
"But if you refuse to reveal anything, how am I supposed to know you're being truthful?" Murdoch pressed.
Eric rubbed his palms together, feeling a bit anxious, and reminded him: "Mr. Murdoch, don't forget, you agreed to transfer shares in Fox entirely to keep up this conversation, which is independent of any details regarding the other two shows, so you must choose to trust me."
"How about this, Eric? I can transfer the shares to you initially for a year, with the condition being that if you can't achieve that average of over 15 million ratings for both shows within that year, for every show that falls short, you would have to return 5% of your shares back to me. What do you think?"
Eric snorted: "Mr. Murdoch, inflating ratings is a hundred times easier than faking movie box office numbers. So the outcome could easily be whatever Fox says it is. Do you really think I would agree to that?"
*****
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