E! Renews ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ for Three Years, Bruce Jenner Out
The E! network will stay in the Kardashian business a bit longer. The Comcast cable network has renewed “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” for another three years, TheWrap has learned. But former family patriarch Bruce Jenner bowing out of the cast.
Jenner’s departure from the cast comes as no surprise — the former Olympian is reportedly transitioning into a woman and will document the process with his own series.
Following the loves, lives and endorsements of Kim Kardashian and siblings Kourtney, Khloe, Kylie, Kendall and mom Kris, the series is huge tent pole for the pop-culture driven channel.
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The re-up’s price tag was a whopping $100 million, according to media reports, though a spokesperson for E! told TheWrap that number was “grossly inaccurate and we’re not commenting further.”
The seemingly endless interest in the family — which now includes rapper Kanye West — hasn’t been as lucrative for E! of late. Premieres and finales have declined year-to-year, and the once solid repeat viewing is tapering off.
“The repeats used to do really well for E!, so they could run them throughout the schedule and monetize the series. Now, only the premieres do ok,” an individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap.
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In addition to the weight of the Kardashian brand, a lackluster programming slate is also a contributing factor to the renewal.
“The thing is, they had to pay because they don’t have anything else except perhaps ‘The Royals,'” the individual said, noting E!’s new scripted series starring Elizabeth Hurley.
In addition to the cable deal, Kim Kardashian is set to partner with Whalerock Industries in the creation of direct-to-consumer digital portfolio. The company is targeting global influencers to develop over-the-top media hubs that connect audiences with artists, bands, and their content.
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