It’s been eight months since the shocking announcement that Fox News and Tucker Carlson were parting ways. At the time, Megyn called it a “terrible move” for the cable network, but she was optimistic about Carlson’s future. “I predict Tucker goes independent, launches a podcast or digital show, and crushes it,” she said in April.
That’s exactly what Carlson has done. He posted the first episode of his X (formerly known as Twitter) show in June, and now he is expanding his media footprint to include a video subscription service.
On Monday’s show, Megyn was joined by Carlson for his first interview since the news broke about his new venture.
Tucker Carlson Network
Carlson’s next move is a new video streaming service called Tucker Carlson Network (TCN) that launched Monday. The digital subscription – available at TuckerCarlson.com – will marry his existing content offerings with long-form interviews, commentary, reporting, and in-depth investigations.
While Carlson’s X show will continue to be available for free on the social media platform and via an audio podcast titled The Tucker Carlson Podcast, TCN will offer paid premium video content for $9/month or $72/year.
This new venture reunites Carlson with his Daily Caller co-founder Neil Patel and his Tucker Carlson Tonight executive producer Justin Wells. Patel will serve as CEO and oversee business operations, while Wells will be president and focus on programming and content.
Carlson Speaks Out
In Carlson’s view, there is an “incuriosity” in corporate media. “The second you start to see your mission as shaping the public’s view on something… you lose your curiosity,” he told Megyn. “You miss all the other stuff that’s going on in the world.”
He believes it’s a “tiresome” system and “demands an alternative.” Carlson said there is a “need” for “people who are honest, not always right,” and that’s the void he is looking to fill. While he called X a “great partner” and “the world’s last big free speech platform,” he said the nature of X doesn’t lend itself to offering a content library the way he would like to.
That’s where TCN comes in. He and his team have been working to rebuild the archive of material they lost in the Fox News departure. In order to scale with the staff needed to do the scope of reporting and news gathering he believes is necessary, Carlson said you need to have “a real company.” That is what this paid streaming network will allow him to create.
Carlson said he took “seven international trips” over the summer and it “confirmed my belief that everything is changing so fast – especially America’s position in the world.” Those trips are going to be continuing this winter, and what he finds will power some of the longer-form content offerings on TCN.
Ultimately, Megyn said she believes independent media offers a “new and better way of delivering information and the news” and that’s why this format makes sense for Carlson. “This is the only way for you,” she concluded. “You’ve left a dying animal and you’ve gotten on top of this new exciting horse and you’re going to ride it off into the sunset.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Carlson by tuning in to episode 683 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.