LA Screenings: BSkyB Faces Legal Question Over ‘24: Live Another Day’

At the LA Screenings this year, BSkyB became embroiled in a contractual dispute over UK rights to the Fox event series 24: Live Another Day. Delegates at the market raised questions about whether the limited-run revival falls under the broadcaster’s existing agreement for the original programme.

BSkyB has historically been the UK broadcaster of 24, transmitting all eight original seasons featuring Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer. Fox has positioned 24: Live Another Day as a short-form event rather than a conventional season, prompting uncertainty about whether prior licence terms automatically extend to the new instalment.

Industry sources at the Screenings say the legal question focuses on classification: is the revival a continuation of the original series or a distinct property requiring a fresh licence? Legal teams for the distributor and the UK buyer are reported to be examining earlier contracts to establish rights and any need for renegotiation.

The situation illustrates the growing complexity of international content deals as formats evolve from full seasons to event series, reboots and limited runs. Such changes can unsettle long-standing distribution arrangements and require sellers and buyers to reassess contractual language governing subsequent productions.

Despite the uncertainty, market observers expect BSkyB to pursue rights for the event strongly, reflecting the value the show has delivered to its US drama acquisitions over the years. Losing the revival to a competitor would carry commercial and reputational implications given 24’s established UK audience.

For Fox, the return of the franchise strengthens its negotiating position in international markets, where buyers attending the LA Screenings showed clear interest in the title. The current discussions with BSkyB could lead to separate negotiations and potentially revised licence fees for the new format.

Executives and rights specialists note that disputes of this kind are increasingly common as networks experiment with non-traditional series formats to revive established properties. While fans focus on Jack Bauer’s return, the business decisions taken now will determine where and when those episodes reach international viewers.

Talks between BSkyB and Fox are ongoing and both sides are reported to be working through contractual options to secure UK availability for viewers. The outcome—whether covered by existing agreements or the result of new terms—will determine the timetable for the UK premiere.