Fox News launched its brand new streaming service “Fox Nation” in an effort to compete in an industry underutilized by conservatives.
What is Fox Nation?
This is Fox’s first foray into the streaming industry, which is also a landmark for conservative programming in general. Fox is hoping to take advantage of this vacuum, filling the space with its already-popular cable stars.
Fox Nation, Fox News’ on-demand, subscription-based service, officially launched on Tuesday morninghttps://t.co/2FJCwK8d2g
— Axios (@axios) November 27, 2018
So who will be appearing on Fox Nation? Newsweek has a breakdown of what Fox stars will be appearing on the streaming service and their respective shows:
- Tomi Lahren, First Thoughts
- Dana Perino, Dana Perino’s Book Club
- Rob Schmitt and Carley Shimkus, Primetime Highlights
- Tyrus and Britt McHenry, UN-PC
- Stuart Varney, My Take
- Judge Andrew Napolitano, Liberty File
- David Webb, Reality Check
- Todd Starnes, Starnes Country
- Guy Benson and Marie Harf, Trending
- Greg Gutfeld, One Smart Person and Greg Gutfeld
- Brian Kilmeade, What Made America Great
That’s a lot of familiar names!
The New York Times distilled the service with one simple phrase: “think Netflix for conservatives.”
Liberals, of course, immediately mocked the very idea. Former Obama advisor Dan Pfeiffer had nothing nice to say about the network:
You will not read anything funnier all day or maybe all week https://t.co/2aSe5OoUVP
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) November 26, 2018
Another liberal outlet immediately said the network is full of “bigotry and lies.”
The bigotry and lies behind Fox Nation, Fox News’ new streaming service https://t.co/ItWAJEnSJT pic.twitter.com/D3gzoxOz4Q
— Media Matters (@mmfa) November 25, 2018
And, of course, one liberal reporter had to use the opportunity to take a shot at the Trump family:
The not-subtle message of a lot of the Fox Nation programming is, “we have unbelievable access to the Trump administration and family, and we use it to schmooze with them and make them look good.” pic.twitter.com/ySpjOjLUm4
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) November 27, 2018
Gee, I seem to remember when it was the height of fascism to even question the veracity and good intentions of the media. Strange how that standard doesn’t apply to Fox News.
Why Fox Nation matters
From a purely business perspective, this is a smart play by Fox. There is a big demand for conservative programming in America, as evidenced by the successful reboot of Tim Allen’s sitcom “Last Man Standing.” (RELATED: “Last Man Standing” Debuts to Stellar Ratings – Over 8M Viewers.)
Likewise, Netflix, which is by far the most recognizable streaming service, has a severe liberal bent. The network not only hired the Obamas to produce exclusive documentaries (RELATED: Obamas Set to Produce Netflix Series About the Trump Administration?) but also hired Obama apparatchik Susan Rice. (RELATED: Netflix Hires Former Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice – Conservatives React.)
Conservatives responded in kind by boycotting the network. (RELATED: Netflix Approval Rating Drops Among Republicans.)
With so many Republican voters dropping Netflix, Fox may see an opening to meet the demands of this right-leaning audience. It will be interesting to see if Fox can leverage its cable audience to grow this brand news service.
Whatever happens, more streaming options for consumers is always a plus!
