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Most media industry analysts speculated that it would not take long for a rival network to make a massive offer to former top-rated Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and it turns out they were right.
On Tuesday, a number of reports cited a letter made public by Valuetainment CEO Patrick Bet-David, a right-leaning “new media” network, in which he offered Carlson $100 million over five years and the position of president of content.
Here’s the letter:
Dear Tucker,
I’ll get right to the point.
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.
Respectfully,
Patrick Bet-David
CEO
Dear @TuckerCarlson, our offer from @ValuetainmentTV 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/RXDRSDchMi
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) May 2, 2023
Bet-David reportedly first revealed his plans to offer Carlson a mega deal on The Megyn Kelly Show earlier Tuesday. Kelly tweeted out her support for the potential match between Carlson and the conservative start-up.
.@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 went on to say that other media companies were likely making larger offers to Carlson, 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.
In a statement, Valuetainment said that it has a platform for Carlson to “speak freely and honestly to the American people,” adding that it has more than 4 million subscribers on YouTube and in excess of 10 million followers on its Instagram, TikTok and Twitter accounts.
The statement also noted the very unique circumstances involving Carlson’s situation 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.
There has been much speculation as to what Carlson will do next, including starting his own network, creating his own podcast, or even taking a new gig with a rival network. And to that latter option, one appears to have stepped up with a big-time offer: Newsmax.
According to TMZ, Newsmax has not only offered Carlson his own show, but he would also be in charge of programming for the entire network, which has seen a bump in viewership following Carlson’s ouster 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.