Star anchor Tucker Carlson is currently “plotting a media empire of his own” that would rival his former network Fox News, according to a new report.
Axios is reporting, citing multiple unnamed sources close to Carlson, that the top-rated host is preparing to lead a Fox News competitor.
Bryan Freedman, Carlson’s attorney, told Axios that the contract dispute with Fox News won’t stand in Tucker’s way.
“The idea that anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous,” he said.
Since outsing Carlson from the network on April 21, Fox News has suffered plummeting ratings.
Viewer numbers have tanked among key demographic segments as a boycott against Fox continues to mount.
Former Fox News star Megyn Kelly likened the backlash to that against Bud Lights, labeling the network “Foxweiser,” as Slay News reported.
Freedman is a Hollywood heavyweight attorney who is also representing Don Lemon.
Lemon was also ousted from CNN during the same week Fox cut Carlson.
Business Insider reports that Freedman previously secured a $30 million payout to Megyn Kelly.
Kelly has vigorously defended Carlson on social media.
During her “Megyn Kelly Show,” she has openly named the individual at the network she believes is responsible for the recent leaks from Fox about Carlson.
Carlson’s texts and behind-the-scenes video clips have been leaked to George Soros’s propaganda arm Media Matter for America.
However, the leaks have been widely panned on social media and have failed to smear Carlson.
Yet, despite the best efforts to derail his career, Carlson is “plotting a media empire of his own,” according to Axios.
But he may be held up in that endeavor since his contract at Fox does not expire until January 2025.
Fox appears unlikely to let Carlson out of the contract to join another media company as he will take his huge audience with him.
Such a move could pose a significant threat to Fox, especially during the 2024 election.
As Slay News reported earlier, Axios also reported that Carlson and Elon Musk have been in conversation about working together.
Further, sources told Axios Carlson is mulling a direct-to-consumer model to deliver content to viewers.
Twitter re-launched its creator subscription program in April.
The program provides a means for creators to monetize their content on the platform.
For the next year, Twitter CEO Elon Musk said Twitter will keep none of the subscription fees, allowing it all to go back to content creators.
Shortly after Fox News fired Carlson, he took to Twitter to address viewers directly.
He did so in a roughly two-minute video posted on April 26 at 8:01 ET, his former time slot on Fox.
The post has since been viewed nearly 81 million times.
The video attached to the post has garnered more than 24 million views.
The caption accompanying the video simply says “good evening,” which is the same verbiage Carlson used to open his weeknight, eponymously-named show.
“[Carlson’s] team is preparing for war,” a friend of Carlson reportedly told Axios.
“He wants freedom.
“Now, we’re going from peacetime to Defcon1,” the friend also warned.
READ MORE: Tucker Carlson Gets Standing Ovation in First Public Appearance since Leaving Fox News
