Production company Fremantle is abandoning direct distribution deals with operators for its video-on-demand (VoD) content for shows like The Apprentice, Pop Idol and the X Factor, reporting that it was not making enough money selling the content to offset production costs, reports NMA.co.uk. Fremantle Media’s Interactive head Robert Marsh said the company has tried both ad-funded and premium content but that the “volumes aren’t there” for either model. He added that any commercial upside they were seeing was “…literally…pennies.” The company does plan, however, to continue licensing their mobile content to third parties, such as BBC Worldwide and ITV (LSE: ITV), and allow them to sort out their own distribution deals.