After Tucker Carlson’s high-profile exit from Fox News, there wasn’t much consternation about what the move would have on advertising sales. For the most part, advertisers had stayed away from the controversial rhetoric pushed by the primetime host. Now that he has departed, the network claims advertisers have returned in bunches.
“We have had over 40 new advertisers come into the hour since we launched the new program, including some of the largest in the country and, really, across all major categories,” says Fox News Media Executive Vice President of Advertising Sales Jeff Collins told Variety. “We have seen new advertisers come in, and new demand.”
Fox News Tonight has struggled in the ratings after stepping into the window previously occupied by Carlson, accounting for roughly half of the audience seen under the now ousted host. But that hasn’t bothered advertisers. According to Variety, companies like Procter & Gamble, Scotts Miracle-Gro, and Novo Nordisk have noticeably increased their presence in the timeslot.
Collins argued advertisers are interested in the revamped timeslot because of the familiarity the audience has with the guest hosts.
“It takes a lot of audience risk out, because the audience is familiar with these personalities and knows them from other programming,” Collins said. “We know from a program perspective that they are going to resonate with the audience and advertisers have a familiarity with them as well.”
Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade, weekend host Lawrence Jones, and Outnumbered co-host Kayleigh McEnany have filled in for Carlson since he was unceremoniously fired last month.
