Fox News Reconnects With Tucker Carlson And Megyn Kelly, Buys Red Seat Ventures

Fox News, the increasingly liberal network that pushed back against President Donald Trump in 2016, enforced a vaccine mandate on its New York employees and called Arizona for former President Joe Biden in 2020 while ignoring election irregularities, has made a move that many are still trying to digest. The network’s parent company, Fox Corporation, has acquired Red Seat Ventures, a media company connected to Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly.

The purchase brings Carlson and Kelly, both former Fox News stars, back into the network’s orbit, though not as direct employees. Red Seat Ventures, which manages popular independent shows including those hosted by Carlson and Kelly, will now operate within Fox’s Tubi Media Group, a division dedicated to digital and streaming content. The deal is being viewed as an effort by Fox to recover conservative viewers who abandoned the network after Carlson’s controversial firing and Kelly’s earlier departure.

Fox News has been losing credibility with its conservative base for years. The network famously turned on Trump in 2016 and later angered its audience by prematurely calling Arizona for Biden in 2020. The network further alienated viewers by enforcing a vaccine mandate in New York, despite many on the right opposing such policies. Carlson’s removal from the network in 2023 only deepened the rift, with reports suggesting his firing was part of a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.

Kelly left Fox in 2017, citing a desire to step away from the political heat surrounding Trump, but she has since re-established herself as a powerful conservative voice. Carlson, meanwhile, has built a massive following with his independent media ventures, continuing to challenge mainstream narratives.

By purchasing Red Seat Ventures, Fox may be attempting to walk back its reputation as a network that caters to establishment interests. However, the network’s handling of the 2020 election, its vaccine mandate and its failure to stand by its conservative hosts have left lasting damage. Whether this move is enough to bring back disillusioned viewers remains to be seen.