GLEE THE MOVIE

This TV season Glee has become the #1 new hit show of this year's TV season. And it's a hit by any measure: ratings, music downloads, touring, press, star making and the list goes on. But is FOX leaving money on the table by not green lighting a Glee theatrical feature for Summer 2011? It should not be a continuation of or the season finale of the TV series. It should be its own stand alone feature. And don't do something contrived like send them all to the same summer music camp. I can't help but think that FOX isn't monetizing this asset and the difference in the business models between FOX and Disney.

As the Disney Channel has clearly demonstrated, a studio can make a lot of money taking a successful TV show and transferring it to the big screen. High School Musical started out as the highest rated TV movie on the cable. HSM had a more successful sequel and then the 3rd film made $252 million dollars in worldwide box office. That's not counting DVD's, music sales, consumer products....High School Musical is a textbook HBR Disney synergy case for why its the only entertainment blue chip stock and a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. High School Musical also helped elevate new Disney studio chief Rich Ross into his current job under the even more brilliant Bob Iger as the CEO of Disney. I didn't think it would be possible to outdo the business acumen and savvy of Michael Eisner, but Bob Iger has clearly become the teacher.

Wake up FOX, Glee is a global hit on TV. You can make a Glee movie for $25 million that will end up grossing $200 million worldwide. Now that's revenue to sing about.