The cost-sharing arrangement would mean that future seasons of "Damages" would air first on DirecTV, before airing on FX.

Despite being a critical darling and awards magnet (Glenn Close has won two Emmy Awards for her starring role as powerhouse litigator Patty Hewes), "Damages" has never performed well in the ratings department. Ew.com reports that, for financial reasons, FX can no longer keep "Damages" afloat on its own.

In its three seasons to date, "Damages" has racked up a who's who of Broadway actors, both as guest stars and in recurring roles. Notable theatre names include Len Cariou (A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Proof), Marcia Gay Harden (Angels in America, God of Carnage), Martin Short (Little Me, Fame Becomes Me), Lily Tomlin (The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe), Zjelko Ivanek (The Pillowman) and Debra Monk (Curtains, Thou Shalt Not), among others. Glenn Close one Tony Awards for her performances in The Real Thing, Sunset Boulevard, and Death and the Maiden, among many others.

"Damages" airs Monday nights on FX. Its third season concludes April 19, and a fourth season is as yet unconfirmed.

—Gemma Wilson