Fox Entertainment and Foxtel Group said they made a deal to co-develop scripted series for the U.S. and Australian markets.

Despite having “Fox” in their names in common, the companies said it is the first time they’ve worked together on a joint project.

“Expanding Fox Entertainment’s international footprint through innovative business models is a principal priority for us,” Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade said. 

“Each of these divisions [Fox Broadcasting, Fox Entertainment Studios and Fox Entertainment Global] are designed to power our growth strategy by uniting with the best and the brightest companies and creatives around the world, and Foxtel Group is the perfect partner to help us achieve this goal,” Wade said.

Some of the scripts co-commissioned under the deal will become original content for the Foxtel subscription-TV platform, while others will appear on its streaming product, Binge, as well as third-party platforms in the U.S. and abroad.

The projects will be produced in Australia by Fox Entertainment Studios and employ above and below-the-line talent and crews from Australia and America.

“Investing in strategic content partnerships, like this one with Fox Entertainment, is reflective of our desire to deliver global thinking to local productions, whilst also sharing Australian stories around the world,” Alison Hurbert-Burns, executive director, entertainment content and commissioner for Foxtel Group, said.

“We’re looking to find new ways to collaborate and bring more production to our shores, to deliver Australian productions that are popular for Foxtel and Binge audiences but also deliver for international partners,” Hurbert-Burns said.

Last year, Foxtel’s Binge licensed Animal Control, Krapopolis and Grimsburg through Fox Entertainment Global.

Australian pay-TV operator Foxtel has renewed its agreement to license TiVo’s search and recommendation technology services.

In 2016, Foxtel made the decision to shelf its Q3 set-top box platform, moving to a solution combining Arris hardware and TiVo software. In July of 2017, Foxtel, which is jointly owned by News Corp. and Telstra, renewed its intellectual property agreement with TiVo.

“Foxtel’s continued investment and trust in TiVo’s personalized discovery capabilities demonstrates our innovation leadership and differentiation in such a competitive landscape,” said Samuel Sweet, senior VP of sales EMEA and APAC, for TiVo, in a statement.

Added Michael Ivanchenko, Foxtel’s director of Product Design & Development: “Foxtel has a legacy of driving innovation across the Australian television landscape TiVo’s solutions are a strong contributor in helping us to stay at the forefront of bringing the latest entertainment services to our viewers.”