As Debmar-Mercury's tagline suggested, Fox TV stations will be the ones putting the "sin in syndication." The stations have inked a rich off-net deal with the distributors of Charlie Sheen's "Anger Management," which will have the series begin airing repeats in September 2014.
"Typical wisdom says off-cable shows aren't right for general syndication, but that's way too narrow minded for today's reality. When a program produces these ratings, regardless of the platform, you have to take it seriously. We did, and we expect 'Anger Management' to be a key piece of our sitcom dominance for years to come," said Fox TV Stations SVP Frank Cicha in a statement.
Photos from THR: A winning day with Charlie Sheen and 'Anger Management'
As a part of the cash plus barter deal, Debmar-Mercury will retain and sell a portion of "Anger Management's" advertising time, also receiving some money from the stations airing the series.
The Lionsgate-produced series, which debuted to record ratings on FX in June, will join Fox's roster of off-net comedies, including top-rated "The Big Bang Theory" and "Modern Family." Fox is prepared to offer double runs of Bruce Helford-produced "Management" Monday through Sunday.
The move comes a few months after Sheen's follow-up vehicle reached an undisclosed ratings threshold in its first 10-episode season to prompt a 100 episode order. The series' summer run became the highest-rated new comedy series on cable in 2012, averaging 4.53 million total viewers and 2.5 million in the key adults 18-49 demo. Production on season two kicked off Sept. 24, with Martin Sheen joining the cast in a recurring role as Sheen's father.
More from THR: Sheen on 'Anger Management': 'It's different now that I'm not insane'
“We are thrilled to have Fox as our core station group for 'Anger Management' as we begin rolling it out nationally. FOX is acquiring today’s most valuable sitcoms, and a broad-based, male-driven sitcom like 'Anger Management' will play perfectly with both "Big Bang Theory" and "Modern Family" on Fox stations in major markets," added co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein.
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