The majority of media observers predicted that a rival network would quickly make a sizable offer to former top-rated Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, and it turns out that they were correct.
In a letter made public on Tuesday, the CEO of the right-wing “new media” network Valuetainment offered Carlson $100 million over five years and the job of president of content, according to a number of publications.
This letter read as follows:
Dear Tucker,
I’ll get right to the point.
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We want you to partner with us in what we feel is a noble and necessary effort to define the future of media.
Here’s our offer:
$100M over 5 years.
An equity stake in Valuetainment
President of Valuetainment and a board seat to project your strategic vision and voice.
Your own podcast(s) and other daily/weekly shows.
Documentaries and movies covering topics you care about.
What else? We are all ears.
Our convictions about freedom, liberty, and truth run deep and we believe we are the absolute right fit for you and America.While we may not be the biggest media company, we are a new media leader driving into the future to make truth, fair debate, and commentary more accessible, consumable, and protected.
We are 100% serious about our offer.
Enable
Respectfully,Patrick Bet-David
CEO
Dear @TuckerCarlson, our offer from @ValuetainmentTV 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/RXDRSDchMi
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) May 2, 2023
According to reports, Bet-David initially discussed his desire to make a significant offer to Carlson on The Megyn Kelly Show earlier on Tuesday. Kelly expressed her support for a possible collaboration between Carlson and the conservative start-up via Twitter.
.@patrickbetdavid just broke this news on the @MegynKellyShow and it’s real: $100m offer over 5 years plus plus plus… He deserves it! https://t.co/2xMil72Ol9
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 2, 2023
“I believe Tucker’s voice is one of the most necessary voices in America,” Bet-David told Kelly, adding that “the world needs to hear that voice.”
He continued by saying that other media outlets were probably making Carlson greater offers, but not better ones.
“We may not be the biggest … but if you want to team up with somebody that’s got the vision in place, the cause in place, and [is] a true believer on how great of a country America is that is worth fighting for — and the fight is a real fight because the enemy is real — we feel we’re the right fit to partner with somebody like Tucker Carlson,” he said.
Valuetainment issued a statement stating that Carlson has a platform to “speak freely and honestly to the American people,” and that it has more than 4 million YouTube subscribers as well as more than 10 million followers across its social media profiles on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
The message also referred to the extraordinarily unusual circumstances surrounding Carlson’s employment at Fox News.
“There seems to be no one in the history of television that has left a network as the top dog with no valid reason explained,” the statement noted.
What Carlson will do next has been heavily rumored, with ideas including founding his own network, beginning a podcast, or even accepting a new position with a competing network. And one seems to have responded to that latter choice with a sizable offer: Newsmax.
According to TMZ, Newsmax has given Carlson not only his own show but also the opportunity to oversee all of the network’s programming, which has increased in popularity as a result of Carlson’s departure from Fox.
“Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … the news channel is doing everything it can to sweeten the deal for Tucker to come on board — including floating the idea of letting him program the whole channel, not just his own show,” the outlet reported.
“That would be a pretty enticing deal point … in addition to having his own primetime show, Tucker would have a say over what shows lead into and out of his show, which can be key in achieving bigger TV ratings,” the report added.
“While our sources stress Newsmax hasn’t formally offered Tucker a job — he can’t have formal discussions due to his current Fox News contract — we’re told the network execs have made it clear to people around him, they would basically give him a big say in rebranding their channel,” TMZ said.
