You might be used to seeing Simon Cowell taking a drink from those red Coca-Cola cups on American Idol, but just as Simon is changing shows he’s also changing his cola of choice:

The days of seeing Simon Cowell at the American Idol judges table sitting behind a large Coke glass are really gone. Fox has announced Pepsi as the official beverage sponsor of The X Factor. “The comprehensive sponsorship of The X Factor by Pepsi includes an extensive, multi-platform off-air marketing partnership; weekly in-show integrations and placements; and an immersive content experience online.

Pepsi will be the exclusive beverage sponsor of The X Factor both on and off-air,” the release says

I’ve been in the Pepsi camp all my days, so no problems here for me. I am curious to see how Pepsi makes themselves as noticeable as those iconic curvy red cups like Coke uses on Idol.

Source: EW

There are brand new X Factor US commercials on the airwaves following the very first preview. Of course they are just teaser commercials without any real details, but it’s still fun to see. Check them out below.

The wait until Fall 2011 for the premiere of X Factor is going to be a brutal and long one, but at least we’ve got American Idol to keep us busy!

Perhaps in a very good sign for the upcoming premiere of the US X Factor, the original UK series broke an impressive ratings record on its season finale last night:

A record audience of nearly 20 million British viewers flocked to the “X Factor’s” Sunday night finale, which awarded a 1 million-pound ($1.6 million) recording contract to painter Matt Cardle, heretofore unknown beyond his immediate circle of friends.

The British experience suggests the headline-grabbing, rags-to-riches show may be a smash in the United States when it debuts next year, even if it’s got some strong similarities to the popular but waning “American Idol.”

$1.6 million for prize money?! That’s a lot of money to give to the winner and considering the budget is supposed to be even bigger here in America I’m wondering how much they’ll get here. Maybe they’ll just make it a record contract instead and put the rest of that change right back in Simon’s pocket!

Source: AP

More than 2 months ago I shared the news that Cheryl Cole had been confirmed for the being one of the judges on X Factor when it debuted in the US for Fall 2011 television. This weekend things got more official as Cole was offered the role, which she accepted:

The 27-year-old [Cheryl Cole] has discovered that she’s landed a place on the judging panel of the U.S. version of The X Factor, according to a source, in a deal worth up to £3million.

An insider had already suggested that Cole was a ‘good bet’ to join Simon Cowell on the show next year.

But on Saturday night, Mrs Cole was officially offered the job, the source said, only a week after executives from U.S. television network Fox flew in to watch the ITV talent show – and the judge – in action.

£3million converts over to more than $4.5 million, which isn’t too bad of a contract for someone mostly unknown in America. Despite being only vaguely in the minds of US viewers I’ve repeatedly supported Simon Cowell’s decision to bring Cole over with him. She’ll be positioned to boost her music career while adding some much needed eye candy to Simon’s side. Sorry, Paula and Kara.

Of course the article goes on to once again mention that Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger continues to be a leading favorite for the third seat after successfully standing in as a temporary judge on the UK show. We’ll just have to see if that works out for Scherzinger or not. An official statement is promised for December.

Source: Daily Mail

Nearly a full year before we’ll ever see The X Factor show on FOX they’ve begun running the first commercial for the new series as it heads over here to the United States.

If you missed the X Factor commercial when it debuted on Thanksgiving Day then be sure to check it out at EW. Hopefully we’ll start getting something with a little more substance to it, but this will have to do for now while we wait for Simon Cowell’s return!