Cable news has spent the last decade staring at the same problem from different angles and still asking the same question. How do you regain relevance during the day when fewer people are watching television live? Sports television may have accidentally handed over a compelling answer when Pat McAfee signed his licensing deal with ESPN.
The move didn’t just change the ESPN lineup. It reframed how legacy networks might partner with creators who already know how to win online.
McAfee didn’t need ESPN to prove he mattered. He arrived with a massive digital footprint, a loyal audience, and a style that already felt native to younger viewers. ESPN didn’t buy a traditional show and hope it caught on. The network licensed a proven product and let it be what it already was, just with a larger megaphone. That distinction matters, especially for cable news executives searching for daylight between relevance and irrelevance.
There’s no shortage of creators performing well in digital spaces right now. They aren’t hypothetical. They’re already pulling audiences that many cable news daytime shows can only dream about. Dan Bongino’s return to Rumble this week drew more than 150,000 viewers live. That number alone would rival or exceed the ratings of several daytime cable news programs. He’s far from alone, too. Steven Crowder often pulls more than 50,000 live viewers at a time, while it isn’t uncommon for Benny Johnson to see more than 20,000 viewers at any given moment.
Political commentary, culture analysis, and opinion-driven shows thrive on YouTube, Rumble, X, and podcasts every single day.
None of this means cable news should start throwing around nine-figure deals. The roughly $85 million agreement ESPN reached with McAfee makes sense in sports, where personalities can drive advertising, sponsorships, and cross-platform engagement. That math obviously doesn’t work for Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, Newsmax, or NewsNation. Still, the underlying concept is worth serious consideration. Licensing an established digital show could inject relevance into time slots that currently struggle to matter.
Daytime cable news has become a graveyard of modest expectations. Networks often settle for shows that don’t embarrass them rather than programs that energize audiences. Meanwhile, creators online are building passionate communities without the benefit of cable distribution. That imbalance feels increasingly absurd. Cable still offers reach, credibility, and advertiser comfort. Digital creators bring urgency, authenticity, and an audience that actually shows up.
Fox News has already experimented with this approach. The network essentially lifted a YouTube show and introduced it to its cable audience with The Will Cain Show. The results were immediate. Cain’s transition proved that audiences don’t always need reinvention. Sometimes they just need access. That’s a lesson other networks shouldn’t ignore, especially outside of prime time.
Critics will argue that digital creators are too raw, too partisan, or too unpredictable for cable news. That concern isn’t entirely wrong. It’s also not new. Cable news has survived far bigger risks than a live-streamed opinion show. The bigger risk is continuing to program safe, forgettable hours that no one talks about and few people watch.
Licensing deals also offer flexibility. Networks wouldn’t need to own the shows outright. They could test runs, limit contracts, and maintain editorial standards while still allowing creators to keep their voice. If it doesn’t work, move on. If it does, you’ve found something cable news desperately needs: daytime programming people actively choose.
The industry keeps waiting for audiences to return out of habit. That’s not happening. Viewers are forming habits elsewhere, and they’re doing it in real time. Borrowing from the Pat McAfee model doesn’t mean copying sports television wholesale. It means acknowledging that relevance now starts online, not on channel guides.
Cable news doesn’t need saving, but it does need adapting. Partnering with proven digital voices could be a smart place to start. Ignoring them feels less like caution and more like denial.
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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.
