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"THE X FACTOR" HITS A HIGH NOTE! FOX PICKS UP HIT SERIES FOR THIRD SEASON

Top 16 Acts Revealed Tomorrow, October 23 and The Gloves are Off as THE X FACTOR LIVE Shows Start Thursday, November 1

FOX has ordered a third season of THE X FACTOR, it was announced today by Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

"I couldn't be happier about THE X FACTOR already being renewed for another season," said Simon Cowell. "I am so proud of the show and the team who have made it this season. I want to thank our incredible sponsors for their support and creativity, and FOX for going out of their way to do everything they can to make this show a success. Most importantly, I have to personally thank our amazing fans for the support and enthusiasm they have given to THE X FACTOR. Our main commitment will always be to find great talent, and let's not forget, we are now days away from our first live shows. The gloves are off! Expect fireworks!"

"This season, Simon and the producers of THE X FACTOR took an already strong show and made it absolutely fantastic. The format changes are working, the contestants are unbelievably talented, and Britney and Demi - alongside Simon and L.A - have brought an incredibly fun new chemistry to the judges' panel that our fans really love," said Darnell. "We feel great about the show and I'm thrilled to bring it back next year for Season Three."

"We're absolutely thrilled that THE X FACTOR will be returning to FOX for a third hit season," said Trish Kinane, President of Entertainment Programming at FremantleMedia North America. "We've seen an incredible range of talent so far and we're getting set for some truly blockbuster live shows this season that viewers will love. THE X FACTOR has really come into its own this year, finding its unique place and cementing its position as one of the leading talent shows in the entertainment landscape, as well as showing clear potential to build into a brand with true longevity. We're looking forward to working with the fantastic teams at FOX and Syco, along with our sponsors, to build upon the show's success."

Season to date, THE X FACTOR is averaging a 3.9 rating among Adults 18-49 and 10.6 million Total Viewers and is a Top 15 show this fall among Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34. In addition, THE X FACTOR is a Top 5 entertainment program among Teens this season.

THE X FACTOR continues to break social TV records with the most fan engagement of any series on television and three times the social activity of its genre competitors. Each episode consistently achieves more Twitter trending topics than the competition. The second season premiere of THE X FACTOR shattered the record for a series premiere, garnering 1.4 million social comments, according to Bluefin Labs.

Following schedule changes due to the rain-delayed MLB NLCS game last week, on Tuesday, Oct. 23, the highly anticipated conclusion of the "Judges' Homes" round of THE X FACTOR will air at a special time from 9:30-10:30 PM ET/PT on FOX. Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid and Britney Spears will reveal the 16 acts among the Teens, Young Adults, Groups and Over 25s categories that will continue in the competition.

Next week, the Top 16 acts will perform on a special LIVE two-and-a-half hour show, hosted by Khloé Kardashian Odom and Mario Lopez, on Thursday, Nov. 1 (8:00-10:30 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed). THE X FACTOR live shows continue on a special night on Sunday, Nov. 4 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) with additional performances and the announcement of the Season Two finalists.

THE X FACTOR was created by Syco Television and is produced by Syco Television and FremantleMedia North America. Rob Wade and Nigel Hall are executive producers for Syco Television. Trish Kinane, Richard Holloway and Andrew Llinares serve as executive producers for FremantleMedia North America. "Like" THE X FACTOR on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheXFactorUSA. Follow the series on Twitter @TheXFactorUSA and join the discussion at #xfactor.

About THE X FACTOR and Syco Entertainment

Artists discovered by "The X Factor" format have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 110 No. 1, 270 Top 10 and 501 Top 50 releases. Local versions of "The X Factor" are now produced in more than 40 territories and the series has won numerous accolades worldwide, including three BAFTA's, numerous NTA's, as well as the coveted Rose d'Or.

In the U.S., Season One of THE X FACTOR was FOX's No. 1 new series launch for four years in total viewers and was FOX's highest-rated Wednesday night premiere in 13 years among adults 18-49. The show averaged a 4.3/12 among Adults 18-49, with an average 12.6 million viewers. Season One of THE X FACTOR recently received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Variety Program or a Special.

FOX's THE X FACTOR was also the most social television show of 2011, achieving more than three billion digital impressions and approximately a quarter of a billion YouTube views. THE X FACTOR won a 2012 Cannes Digital Lion for Branded Content and swept the Social TV awards, winning Best TV Show Specific Social TV Award, Best Social TV Integration of Twitter and Best of Show Social TV Award for overall excellence in Social TV.

"The X Factor" was devised by Simon Cowell and launched in 2004 in the U.K. where it has remained the No. 1 entertainment show, with the 2010 finale achieving a peak of 21.2 million viewers, and a 65% share. The 2011 finale, held at Wembley Arena, was the most-watched TV show of the year, with a bigger audience than the Royal Wedding. "The X Factor" has launched in nine new territories since the beginning of last year alone, including Chile, Kazakhstan, India, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. The show has also been the No. 1 program in Denmark for the past five years, with an incredible 40 percent of the population tuning in, and is also the highest-rated program ever for Italy's Sky Uno.

Syco Entertainment is a leading global music, television, film and digital production company. Syco is a joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment. Syco's television and music assets include leading global franchises "The X Factor" and "Got Talent," as well as artists including Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, Cher Lloyd, One Direction and Labrinth.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: If FOX airs MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - WORLD SERIES GAME #7, THE X FACTOR will be preempted on Thursday, Nov. 1 (8:00-10:30 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed.]