Recent acquisitions involving Fox News
Executive summary
Fox Corporation bought Red Seat Ventures in February 2025, a creator-economy podcast and media business that Fox says drove “over 200 million monthly active views” across 17 creator-led shows as of November 2024 [1] [2]. Discussion of larger, strategic M&A involving Fox and News Corp has recurred since 2022 but has been resisted by some shareholders and family stakeholders; the companies explored but ultimately did not consummate a full reunion as of reporting cited here [3] [4].
1. A tactical deal to bulk up podcasts and creator-led content
Fox presented the Red Seat Ventures purchase as a targeted acquisition to extend its footprint into the creator economy and podcasting, emphasizing scale — “over 200 million monthly active views” and a Top‑10 U.S. podcast network status — and positioning Red Seat’s 17 creator-led shows inside Fox’s news, sports and entertainment ecosystem [1] [2]. The press release framing indicates Fox intends to leverage its broadcast and digital distribution to commercialize creator businesses rather than pursue a broad restructuring of the company [1].
2. How the acquisition fits Fox’s stated strategy
Public materials and investor messaging show Fox seeking to “capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives,” naming FOX News Media, FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment, FOX Television Stations and Tubi as core assets — language echoed in the Red Seat announcement, which frames the buy as complementary to those units [5] [1]. CEO commentary from prior years signaled an appetite for deals that expand digital and direct-to-consumer reach [6], and Red Seat’s creator-first roster maps onto that priority [2].
3. Past breakups and the limits of major reunification
Fox’s asset history matters. The 2019 Disney acquisition of much of 21st Century Fox created the current Fox Corporation that houses Fox News and broadcast properties; that split explains why Fox’s recent deals are often additions to a smaller, news-and-sports‑centered platform rather than gigantic studio buys [7] [8]. Since 2022 there have been public discussions about re-merging Fox and News Corp assets — including Fox News and The Wall Street Journal — but those talks encountered shareholder resistance and internal disagreement, and reporting indicates the Murdochs pulled back amid concerns [3] [4].
4. Competing perspectives inside the Murdoch orbit and among investors
Coverage shows divergent views: insiders and the family trust can float proposals for consolidation, while other shareholders — notably activists and non‑family major holders — have warned a recombination could increase legal and advertising risk and complicate the capital structure [4] [9]. Deadline’s reporting of Lachlan Murdoch saying Fox is “on the prowl for M&A” signals management intent to hunt for deals, but it also highlights that targets and timing remain unspecified [6].
5. What Red Seat specifically buys Fox — and what it does not, per available reporting
The company statements claim scale and genre breadth (news, opinion, true crime, sports, entertainment) and promise to plug creators into Fox’s distribution and monetization engine [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention purchase price, whether creators retain independent editorial control, or any regulatory scrutiny tied to this small‑scale acquisition; those specifics are not found in current reporting [1] [2].
6. Broader industry context and implicit agendas
The deal reflects a broader media industry pivot toward creator-driven direct-to-consumer formats and podcast monetization; Fox’s stated agenda is to turn scale into commercial advantage across its news and sports footholds [5] [1]. There is an implicit commercial motive to diversify revenue beyond linear fees, and PR framing by Fox emphasizes scaling and synergy — an expected corporate agenda when incumbents buy popular digital talent [1] [2].
7. Takeaway: incremental acquisition, ongoing strategic debate
Taken together, the Red Seat acquisition is an incremental but logical move for Fox to expand digital audio/video reach and creator relationships [1] [2]. Larger, transformational M&A — such as a recombination with News Corp or other big studio buys — has been contemplated publicly but remains contested among shareholders and family actors, making such outcomes uncertain based on the reporting at hand [3] [4].