AEG, CAA In Cable Talks

Creative Artists Agency, AEG and “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest are reportedly in early talks about jointly launching an entertainment-focused cable network, and have discussed the idea with potential distributors.

Nobody’s owning up to the content of talks, but multiple published reports describe the network-to-be as music, pop culture and lifestyle-oriented, according to the New York Times. AEG President/CEO Tim Leiweke told Forbes the network would be named AXS but offered up no other major details.

But the Times “Media Decoder” blog attempts to do just that, noting all three are major media players and AEG, especially, could benefit from another outlet for its inhouse studio productions.

AXS could, in theory, benefit from AEG’s global venue reach with potential broadcasts from L.A.’s Nokia Theatre and Staples Center, and London’s O2 Arena.

Leiweke reportedly told Forbes that AXS’s backers would most likely look for an existing network with which to merge and rebrand, and pointedly told the mag, “We have zero interest in competing with E!”

Seacrest, who has been an ubiquitous media figure in the last decade, would have to watch his step to not run afoul of his present relationship with E! and its parent Comcast. He not only works red-carpet broadcasts and hosts awards shows, but has producer credits on his lengthy resume, including for “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.”