The announcement on Tuesday that Derek Hough had signed an overall deal with ABC raised a few eyebrows given the fact that he had a first-look deal with NBC just a few years ago. What does this mean for Hough in the long run?
Let's take a look.
Overdue deal
Let's be honest, ABC should have made this deal with Hough a long time ago when he was a pro on Dancing With the Stars. NBC swooped in and offered him Hairspray Live, World of Dance and a first-look deal. Of course, he went with a bigger opportunity. The fact that he's coming home to ABC, where his career began, is a great story from both sides. It also clarifies why we saw Hough participating in The Disney Family Singalong specials early this summer, along with his return to Dancing With the Stars for Season 29.
NBCUniversal
Given the fact that Hough's ABC deal covers "host[ing] and develop[ing] specials and entertainment programming for the broadcast network," it would be in direct conflict with his original NBCUniversal deal. That contract involved "a first-look producing deal" for both alternative and scripted programming. Since there is a lot of crossover in potential projects, it's fair to assume the NBC contract has expired.
World of Dance
Before anyone goes crazy over Hough definitively leaving World of Dance, let's go over the facts — World of Dance has yet to be picked up for Season 5. Why? There's a pandemic and NBC has to figure out how to safely do the show with an international cast, given the current travel bans. Once that pick-up order is in place, then the questions begin. It's also a reminder that NBC has tWitch ready to go if a new judge is needed. He's more than qualified to slide into any open judge position.
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