Fox CorporationEdit
Fox Corporation is a major American media holding company formed in 2019 after the spin-off of the remaining assets of the former 21st Century Fox. It operates a portfolio of national and local broadcasting outlets, cable networks, and digital platforms that together shape a large portion of the country’s news, entertainment, and public discourse. The company is controlled by the Murdoch family through a two-class voting structure, ensuring that leadership and strategic direction remain in the hands of Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, and related family members. Its operations include the Fox Broadcasting Company, the Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox Sports, the Fox Television Stations group, and the ad-supported streaming service Tubi. The reorganization created a focused American media platform separate from the print and book publishing businesses that remain under News Corp.
Historically, Fox Corporation traces its lineage to the broader Fox brand that evolved through decades of television and media activity. After the sale of the major 21st Century Fox film and international assets to other buyers, Fox Corporation inherited and realigned the remaining U.S.-based properties and brand names that had been built around broadcast and cable networks, sports programming, and digital distribution. The remaining Fox assets have continued to pursue scale in a competitive media environment where advertising markets, streaming, sports rights, and political talk programming all compete for viewers and sponsorships. The company’s leadership and governance structure reflect the family’s long-term stewardship of the brand and its various outlets, balancing commercial objectives with a message that emphasizes free expression, competition, and the appeal of traditional American media brands.
History
Origins and spin-off
The modern Fox brand emerged from a sequence of corporate reorganizations that culminated in 2019 when the remaining assets of the former 21st Century Fox were reorganized into Fox Corporation and News Corp. This realignment separated print and book publishing and other international assets from the U.S.-focused broadcasting and entertainment businesses. The Murdoch family retained voting-control in Fox Corporation through a structure that grants disproportionate influence to Class B shares, allowing the family to guide strategy, brand direction, and long-term investments. In the years since, Fox Corporation has worked to adapt to a shifting media landscape shaped by streaming, changing affiliate relationships, and evolving consumer habits.
Recent developments
Fox Corporation moved to expand its digital footprint with the adoption of streaming initiatives and by strengthening its live sports and cable offerings. The ad-supported streaming service Tubi became a key element of the company’s strategy for monetizing free-to-access content and reaching audiences outside traditional cable bundles. The Fox brand has also pursued ways to present opinion, commentary, and news through platforms that can reach a broad audience, while maintaining a focus on the business realities of a highly competitive media market. In debates about media influence, Fox’s platforms have been cited as a counterweight to partisan narratives in other sectors of the media ecosystem.
Corporate structure and governance
Ownership and control
Fox Corporation employs a dual-class share structure designed to concentrate voting power among the Murdoch family. This governance model keeps the family’s influence central in long-term strategic decisions, including programming direction, network branding, and distribution priorities. The leadership typically draws on decades of experience in existing cable and broadcast operations, as well as in discussions about regulatory, competitive, and cultural issues that affect the media landscape. For biographical context, see Rupert Murdoch and Lachlan Murdoch; for corporate history, see News Corp and the broader arc of media consolidation.
Business units
The company’s core operating segments include: - Fox Broadcasting Company, the over-the-air network that reaches a broad national audience. - Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, which shape political and economic discourse in real time for millions of viewers. - Fox Sports properties, delivering live sports content across channels and platforms. - Fox Television Stations, a group of local broadcast stations that provide local and national programming. - Tubi, an ad-supported streaming service that complements traditional distribution channels. These assets are integrated under a common brand while retaining distinct operating units focused on the needs of advertisers, distributors, and viewers.
Holdings and operations
Editorial and programming approach
Fox’s programs span news, opinion, entertainment, and sports. The editorial approach has often emphasized market-oriented policies, a skepticism of expansive regulatory regimes, and a focus on national security and law-and-order themes in coverage of public affairs. Supporters argue that Fox supplies a counterweight in a media environment with widely shared perspectives; critics contend that some coverage prioritizes sensationalism or partisan framing. In this ongoing debate, proponents of Fox's approach argue that a vigorous marketplace of ideas—including viewpoints favored by many on the right—helps viewers assess government action and social change. They contend that challenges to what they characterize as a one-sided cultural narrative are essential to a robust democracy, even if some controversial moments attract intense scrutiny.
Controversies and debates
Fox Corporation’s platforms have been at the center of several high-profile disputes. The most prominent are debates over coverage of elections and public policy, with critics alleging that certain programs and hosts promoted misinformation or downplayed credible concerns about election integrity. Supporters counter that the network offers perspectives not always present in other outlets and that the marketplace of ideas should tolerate strong and contentious viewpoints. A highly discussed episode involved defamation claims tied to coverage around the 2020 election; a later settlement related to these claims underscored the legal and financial risks media outlets face when presenting or repeating disputed assertions. From a perspective that prioritizes free expression and competition, this outcome is seen as a reminder that accountability measures should be balanced against the imperative to preserve open debate and diverse viewpoints. Critics of such views often describe the network as having blurred lines between news reporting and opinion, while supporters argue that the distinct separation of programs and the breadth of opinion across the Fox platform provide viewers with a range of credible, alternative analyses.
Other controversies in the broader media environment commonly discussed in public discourse include questions about media bias, audience trust, and the role of political commentary in shaping policy preferences. Proponents of Fox’s model argue that critics overstate the risk to public discourse, pointing to the network’s market performance, audience reach, and continued influence as evidence that it serves a legitimate and valuable function in a pluralistic media ecosystem. They argue that concerns about “woke” influence on media often misinterpret the purpose of editorial programs and overlook the importance of a robust, diverse set of outlets that reflect different perspectives.
Markets and audience
Fox Corporation’s businesses compete in a dynamic market driven by advertising demand, affiliate relationships, and consumer demand for both live programming and on-demand options. The combination of a national broadcast network, cable channels, local stations, and online streaming enables the company to reach a wide audience across age groups and demographics. The streaming service strategy, including Tubi, reflects broader industry trends toward complementary digital distribution, targeted advertising, and content licensing deals that extend the reach of Fox-branded programs beyond traditional TV. The company’s strategy emphasizes a balance between flagship live programming—especially sports and news—and scalable digital products that attract advertisers and data-enabled revenue opportunities.