Tucker Carlson hasn’t left Fox Corporation quite yet.
The company’s Fox News Media unit has hours and hours of various specials and original programming the controversial anchor developed for the subscription-based streaming service Fox Nation, and doesn’t appear poised to take any of that content down.
The Carlson-created options currently available on the service are manifold. There is a program called “Let Them Eat Bugs!” that examines how “global leaders, movie stars and social media influencers are making a concerted push to force bugs into your diet, whether you like it or not.” A “Tucker Carlson Originals Christmas Special” is available for those interested. And Carlson’s last broadcast on Fox News Channel — from Friday, April 21 — is ready to for binge-viewing. There are also classic Carlson interviews to be found in “Tucker Carlson Tonight: The Vault.”
Carlson and Fox News parted ways earlier this week after he was, according to people familiar with the matter, dismissed by Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott. The host, who fronted the most-watched primetime show on the Fox News Channel schedule, set off multiple controversies during a nearly five-and-a-half-year run that had him go from bashing liberal guests on air to taking aim at targets ranging from the Black Lives Matter movement to Senator Tammy Duckworth.
“Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” the company said in a statement Monday. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.” Fox News declined to add to the statement.
Reasons for the separation may be tied to the aftermath of Fox Corp.’s massive $787.5 million defamation settlement agreement with Dominion Voting Systems, which had sued Fox News and its corporate parent in a libel suit, alleging that Fox News personalities deliberately passed along a conspiracy theory that tied Dominion to debunked rigging of the 2020 presidential election.
Even though he’s essentially been cancelled at Fox, Carlson’s work has not — and there is a substantial amount of it. In 2021, the host and Fox News struck a pact that called for Carlson and his team to create three video podcasts and some original specials for Fox Nation. As part of that agreement, Carlson’s senior executive producer, Justin Wells, was named senior vice president of Tucker Carlson digital products. Wells was dismissed along with Carlson earlier this week. No new programming from Carlson is expected.
Fox Nation includes other programming from hosts and correspondents no longer working for Fox News. Three episodes of the Lara Logan documentary series “Lara Logan Has No Agenda” are available for perusal. In 2022, the former “60 Minutes” correspondent made controversial remarks comparing Dr. Anthony Fauci to Josef Mengele, the notorious Nazi physician.
Executives have in recent years worked to broaden the service’s offerings beyond Fox News regulars. Fox Nation has documentary series backed by Kevin Costner and Kelsey Grammer; a revival of the crime-fighting “Cops” reality show; and a stand-up comedy turn from Roseanne Barr. New selections are slated to include a comedy docuseries that examines the history of alcohol from “Saturday Night Live” stars includingDanAykroyd, Jim Belushi, Jon Lovitz and KevinNealon. Fox has tried to emphasize so-called “lifestyle” content to advertisers in recent weeks, with some Fox Nation selections airing on the Fox News weekend schedule, with commercials.
Even though Fox Nation debuted in 2018, Fox Corp. has never disclosed the size of its subscriber base. In February, Lachlan Murdoch told investors that the service “accelerated subscriber growth over the last quarter and last year and had the best quarter ever for engagement in terms of hours viewed.”
