According to Variety, the FX cable network has purchased the rights to broadcast nine prominent Hollywood films, includind X-Men: The Last Stand. The publication writes:
Hell-bent on bolstering its reputation as the most aggressive cable-network buyer of theatrical pics, FX has ponied up about $90 million to buy nine titles from 20th Century Fox, led by the blockbuster sequels X-Men: The Last Stand and Ice Age: The Meltdown.
FX recently engineered deals for exclusive cable TV rights to recent movies such as Superman Returns, Click and Snakes on a Plane.
Other titles in the 20th bundle include The Devil Wears Prada, Big Momma's House 2 and The Omen. Most of the pics become available to FX in 2009 on a four-year license term. HBO gets the titles next year in the 18-month exclusive pay TV window.
FX schedules theatrical movies in primetime five days a week -- a strategy that's propelled the net to double-digit Nielsen gains for the first half of the year in key demos.
FX will shell out 10%-12% of domestic box office for the 20th titles. Cabler license fee on X-Men: The Last Stand has been capped at $24 million. (X-Men: The Last Stand has grossed $233 million in the U.S.)