Fox’s hit drama Empire is no underdog here in the U.S. - it broke ratings records last fall, becoming the first program in Nielsen history to grow its audience week after week for far past its first five episodes.

The show’s season finale in March drew more than 16 million viewers and #EmpireFinale was a trending topic on Twitter before the episode even aired. Hulu also picked up on the hit, adding every episode from season one to its streaming platform with plans for each episode to stream one day after air in season two.

On the international side of things, however, Empire wasn’t such an obvious bet.

Last year, when international buyers screened the show, many passed on the show, several commenting that it was too niche or too focused on hip hop.

But with the subsequent success stories of Empire, as well as ABC’s Black-ish and How to Get Away with Murder, international broadcasters are taking a second glance at some of the more diverse casts that make up Hollywood’s ratings hits.

Today, Empire is sold out in almost every major TV territory around the world, with big players in the international broadcast business signing on. This includes Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1, Australia’s Network Ten, France’s M6 and Fox International Channels, which alone reaches 126 countries and 244 million homes.

The U.K.‘s E4 picked up the show as well, responding to an ongoing debate in the region about showcasing diversity on air. Prominent figures in the TV community (Idris Elba, Emma Thompson, Doctor Who writer Russell T. Davies) backed a plea to broadcasters last year to feature more minorities both onscreen and behind the scenes. Networks there have begun to take notice, with E4 also picking up The CW’s Golden Globe-winning Jane the Virgin.

Some broadcasters see these two series in the same light - both are big, bold drama series with worldwide appeal - the more obvious the drama, the better.

Read more at The Hollywood Reporter.

Brief Take: Empire’s diversity aspect is seen as secondary in the international market - like Jane the Virgin, it certainly helps, but the show’s appeal relies on its larger-than-life characters than can translate to any audience worldwide.

[Image courtesy of Fox]

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