In 2025, owning a cable news network is increasingly complicated. Cable news has always been a high-stakes business, but the current environment has turned it into a tightrope walk.
Hyper-partisanship dominates every hour of programming, and networks that attempt neutrality often get pummeled from both sides. Today, alienating half—or sometimes more—of the potential audience isn’t just possible, it’s practically guaranteed.
Add to that the political climate. President Donald Trump has never been shy about using his platform to pressure networks, and FCC Chair Brendan Carr has shown he isn’t afraid to flex his regulatory authority either.
For major corporations, the optics of running a news operation can easily morph into a strategic headache. Just inject some truth serum into Disney CEO Bob Iger, and I’d bet he’d tell you the same.
A network’s editorial decisions no longer exist in a vacuum; they ripple across corporate holdings, investor confidence, and public perception. That can make a once-prized asset feel less like a strength and more like a liability.
There’s also the cold, hard economics to consider. Publicly traded companies in 2025 face relentless pressure to create shareholder value, and news operations are expensive. Staffing, investigative reporting, technical infrastructure, and legal resources all demand cash—and plenty of it.
Unlike streaming or sports programming, which can often generate relatively predictable revenue, news doesn’t necessarily scale in a neat, algorithm-driven way. If profits are the measure of success, cable news can feel like a giant anchor chained to a corporate bottom line.
And yet, labeling news as a drain overlooks its strategic advantages. Cable news provides unmatched influence in a world where attention is currency. It allows parent companies to shape cultural conversations, move markets, and, in some cases, protect other business interests. FOX Corp., for instance, almost certainly views Fox News as an irreplaceable strength. Its ability to drive narratives, dominate election cycles, and command advertiser dollars is something no streaming platform or entertainment network can easily replicate. Influence, after all, is intangible but immensely powerful.
For newer or diversified media conglomerates, the calculus is different. Warner Bros. Discovery, with CNN, or Versant’s newly launched MSNBC venture, likely weigh the risks differently. The backlash potential from controversial reporting, combined with the relentless partisan scrutiny, may create more headaches than advantages. Every tweet from a politically active president, every FCC signal, and every viral social media post forces these companies into strategic maneuvering that can feel more like crisis management than business development.
It’s important to remember that cable news’ value isn’t just in influence or revenue; it’s also in reach. Millions of Americans tune in daily, making these networks cultural touchstones. For advertisers and executives, that reach translates into leverage, which is why some parent companies continue to invest aggressively despite the risks. In other words, cable news is a double-edged sword: costly, politically combustible, and yet undeniably potent.
The current media landscape also highlights a harsh truth: even the most powerful cable news networks rely on ratings. Influence is meaningless if no one is watching, and money is meaningless if it doesn’t justify the expense. FOX Corp.’s confidence in Fox News is bolstered by consistently high viewership, giving it a clear edge in the attention economy. Meanwhile, CNN and MSNBC’s parent companies must constantly balance audience growth against political exposure, a calculation that often makes boards sweat.
Furthermore, Newsmax launched its cable channel at what could have been the single worst time — besides today, perhaps — to begin a new cable network. And yet, it’s found sustainability, profitability, and growing relevance at a time when no one could have predicted that success.
Truthfully, it’s impossible to definitively say whether owning a cable news network is an advantage or a liability in 2025. The answer depends on each company’s risk tolerance, corporate strategy, and appetite for political entanglement.
But one thing is clear: despite the political volatility, the expense, and the inevitable criticism, cable news remains a uniquely powerful tool in any media conglomerate’s portfolio. Look at the top-rated channels in the entire cable ecosystem, and consistently, you’ll see Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC in the top five, and you generally don’t have to look past spot number two to find Fox.
Networks can be a headache, sure — but they are also a megaphone, and in today’s attention economy, that megaphone is priceless.
In the end, the measure of strength is deceptively simple. If a network drives ratings, it drives influence. If it drives influence, it drives value. For some companies, like FOX Corp., that equation is already paying dividends. For others, the calculus remains uncertain.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
