It’s been a busy last twelve months for Craig Carton. Following the cancellation of his FS1 program, Breakfast Ball, in July, many speculated about where Carton’s path would lead after his network television debut. The results of that journey to today shouldn’t be surprising.
First, Carton remained a partner with FOX and worked with Red Seat Ventures to develop a one-hour daily program titled The Craig Carton Show. His return to WFAN followed, with the official announcement coming in early December. Earlier this year, Carton added another layer to his growing media presence by teaming with Lil Wayne for The Joint Venture podcast. Beginning today, Carton elevates that initial project by bringing The Craig Carton Show to a rebranded and growing OutKick digital platform.
“I have been a frequent guest on OutKick as well as FOX News. So, there’s some familiarity that I have with them, and they have with me,” said Carton about the early discussions surrounding bringing The Craig Carton Show to OutKick. “I was a guest with Dan [Dakich] about six months ago. Afterwards, they reached out and inquired about my deal with FOX expiring. The interest was mutual.”
With Carton’s FOX contract coming to an end earlier this summer, the network made an offer to keep him in tow along with The Craig Carton Show podcast. However, the network allowed Carton to retain the podcast and shop it around to other distributors outside of his prior arrangement with SportsGrid.
“I had the ability to go look for other partners, but they [OutKick] had an interest in me. It sort of came together at the same time. I have great respect for FOX as a company. They’ve been great to me on the sports side. Then to take that and evolve our relationship under the FOX News umbrella was a no-brainer,” explained Carton, who co-owns the IP for The Craig Carton Show with FOX. “We’re partners in every sense of the word.”
What To Expect
The program will be somewhat similar to its initial version, but also very different. It’s been more than two months since Carton hosted an episode, but the summer break allowed him to prepare for how he envisions this version reaching an audience that may not be as familiar with him as others.
His approach to discussing the hottest sports topics of the day will not change. The content will be more nationally focused, and less based in New York City sports which brought him success for almost two decades at WFAN. However, the biggest change to the new version of the show lies in something he didn’t have an opportunity to do with SportsGrid.
“The biggest change is this show affords me the opportunity to do far more long-form interviews than I’ve ever really done,” said Carton. “I’ve always felt I’m really good at it, and I love doing it. The last version of the show, because of commercial breaks, didn’t allow for real long-form interviews. This version does. Every show, I expect there will be some sort of long-form interview.”
What drew Carton to OutKick was the ability to tackle issues he wouldn’t discuss in other forums. From pop culture to politics, everything Carton plans to present on the show will be something that interests him, with guest appearances mixed in as well.
Another change at OutKick is that The Craig Carton Show will be a solo act. Former 97.5 The Fanatic host Tyrone Johnson served as Carton’s co-host for the past 10 months while the program was on SportsGrid.
“This will be a solo act. Tyrone may make a guest appearance from time to time. I’m very fond of him, and I believe he is a future star in this industry,” said Carton.
From a production standpoint, The Craig Carton Show will move from a live, one-hour program to a taped show. Episodes will be released weekdays at 6 p.m. on OutKick’s social platforms and YouTube channel. The show will also be posted to The Craig Carton Show YouTube page, which currently has nearly 74,000 subscribers. In the initial announcement, it was stated that the program would be released three days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
“I’d be shocked if, in the first four or five months, we’re not doing the show every day,” explained Carton. “I don’t think we’re going to start doing it just three days a week. The best bet for us is to come out of the gate with content five days a week. Building an audience with that kind of quality and consistency.”
Finding Balance
Carton will host the program from the OutKick offices at the FOX News complex on Sixth Avenue in New York City. Construction continues on Carton’s permanent studio, which should open in less than a month. In the meantime, Carton will tape his first OutKick episodes in a smaller setup, then expand the space soon.
The arrangement with OutKick comes after Carton signed a multi-year contract with Audacy’s WFAN late last year. Carton explained that there are never any secrets when it comes to business dealings between companies. His aim is full transparency. By allowing every outlet he serves to better understand what’s expected while giving him the freedom to expand his opportunities elsewhere.
“WFAN is well aware, and was aware from day one, that OutKick approached me. OutKick is also very aware of my responsibilities to WFAN. Everyone is also very aware that I’m doing the podcast with Lil Wayne. No surprises. We were able to work it out where everyone is happy about the amount of time I’m committing to each entity,” explained Carton. “The three actually complement each other really well.”
In balancing all of his duties, Carton admits he’s not a big sleeper. With The Craig Carton Show becoming a daily program alongside his WFAN responsibilities, his day will begin with the OutKick program before shifting to WFAN just after noon. He says there will likely be some stories that occasionally intertwine from one show to the other. But understanding the belief each company has in him, every outlet will get his full attention.
Carton is a competitor. His motivation has been to be the best at everything he’s doing while earning the consumer’s time in the process. With the shift to OutKick, that motivation is no different. He stands by his resume of success. His ability to draw younger audiences. In addition, he believes his content model fits what Clay Travis and OutKick have built since its inception.
“OutKick is a well-established platform with brand awareness and name recognition. We’re not starting with zero followers on social platforms. We have a built-in audience already there waiting for new content,” said Carton. “If you view my show as a startup for OutKick, we’re already ahead of the game. We already have followers that believe in the content. Now, we just have to find some new ones. I fully expect a great launch and quick success.”
A New Level Of Satisfaction
The journey of Craig Carton includes many highs, but also many lows. Many of the low points Carton experienced would easily end a career for others. But now, walking into a partnership with OutKick following a third and successful return to WFAN, Carton says he doesn’t take anything for granted anymore.
“There is a different level of satisfaction with this latest return to WFAN,” explained Carton. “Coming back from the national show on FS1 and the Red Seat Ventures project. Then having the same level of success again with another new partner. It’s hard to explain because my ego isn’t there anymore. But the satisfaction I get from enjoying the moments of success now is heightened. Because I know how hard it is to have success in this industry. The success this time around, and what I will have with OutKick, I’m enjoying it more than I ever have.”
Carton says the current lineup at WFAN is healthier and more together than at any time previously. He’s thrilled to see the wave of success his return has brought to the radio station, mainly ensuring those who hired him that they made the right decision. Carton says he understands his return did come with a price for others.
“I’m sensitive to how the news came out that I was coming back. Whether people thought I was coming back or not. In a perfect world, a company can tell their on-air people before they go on air that this was happening. Obviously, there wasn’t an opportunity to do that, and I’m sensitive to that,” said Carton. “It’s a cutthroat business. If the powers that be didn’t think a new version of Craig Carton would be successful, they wouldn’t have made the decision to do it. Now, less than a year in, the results prove their decision was the right one and created a very healthy radio station.”
Carton’s career has experienced plenty of highs and lows, but his return to WFAN has reinforced his belief that he can still connect with an audience and deliver results. Now, he’s hoping OutKick experiences the same payoff.
For Carton, this opportunity is about more than adding another show to his schedule. It’s another chance to prove his ability to build an audience extends beyond the New York sports market he has dominated for nearly two decades.
WFAN took a calculated risk when it decided Carton was worth bringing home. Less than a year later, the results have validated that decision and helped create a healthy radio station. Now, OutKick is making its own bet.
Carton believes the upside can be just as significant. He knows success has to be earned, regardless of the platform or his previous accomplishments.
If the bet pays off, OutKick may eventually look back on its decision much the same way WFAN does today — as a chance that became a very good investment.
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