Tucker Carlson speaks at a political conference in Los Angeles on October 21, 2018
Rich Polk | Getty Images
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s new Twitter show has found one of its first advertisers.
Carlson agreed to a seven-figure ad deal with Public Square (Public Sq.), a shopping app that advertises itself as a “Initial point” Conservatives have fought environmental, social and governance policies, according to people familiar with the matter.
The people declined to be named to speak freely about the deal, which has not been made public. Representatives for Carlson did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
The move shows that Carlson is looking to use his new plan to woo conservative-friendly advertisers hungry for a bigger platform.The show, which Carlson launched after Fox News parted ways with Carlson in late April, has attracted millions of views, despiteBroadcast server says numbers have dropped Since the first episode in June.Carlson’s show on Fox It is said Last year alone brought in $77.5 million in advertising revenue.
Carlson left Fox News after Fox News’ parent company settled a defamation lawsuit against Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million. Moderators have played a major role in the public battle over the lawsuit.
Carlson has become a more outspoken conservative on Twitter than she has on Fox primetime programming.show incur criticism Recently, Carlson hosted social media personality Andrew Tate, who has been defendant Romanian investigators investigate human trafficking and rape. Both Tate and his brother have denied wrongdoing.
After Carlson left the company, Fox News sent him a cease and desist letter while he was increasing his influence on Twitter, according to to axios.exit report Carlson is still under contract with Fox, and the company is maintaining his contract to keep his content exclusive to the company until Dec. 31, 2024. Carlson’s team responded to the letter in a statement: “Tucker will not be held down by anyone.”
Carlson’s performance seemed to fit well with the conservative leanings of the public square.
Public Square CEO Michael Seifert has previously discussed how the company hopes to help address ESG, which has become a target of Republican lawmakers, right-wing officials and members of the media at the state and federal levels.
“So there’s really been a cool parallel economic ecosystem that’s been created. It all starts with consumer spending. We hate ESG, we hate DEI[diversity, equity and inclusion]we talk about these policies in the news all the time ,” he said in a interview Breitbart News Network. “But the only way we’re going to overturn the corrupt ideas that are destroying our economy is by changing consumer spending. So we’re offering the simplest table of contents as your starting point.”
Seifert declined to comment.
The Public Square ads are expected to appear on Carlson’s show beginning in late August. Public Square will list on the New York Stock Exchange in the coming days through a merger with special purpose acquisition firm Colombier Acquisition Corp., according to the company. Daily Mail.
a february Press release The deal “is expected to provide Public Square with up to $158.5 million in cash,” the merger chief said. Colombier Acquisition Corp. is led by Wall Street veteran Omeed Malik.
The new board is expected to include Seifert, Malik; Nick Ayers, an aide to then-Vice President Mike Pence; and the former Arizona Senate Republican nominee, the release said. Man and Peter Thiel ally Blake Masters. Ailes was reportedly initially involved with Thiel-backed “anti-Awakening” bank GloriFi, but did not hold a management role. Wall Street Journal. newspaper report In November, the startup will close.
Malik’s investment firm, 1789 Capital, plans to be one of Carlson’s early investors, people familiar with the matter said. It will be an eight-figure investment and will be completed by late summer, these people explained.wall street journal recent Carlson and longtime ally Neil Patel are reportedly seeking to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to fund the company.
Patel did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Malik has begun fundraising for two presidential candidates: Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In his most recent tweet, Carlson said Kennedy was gaining popularity on the fringes of politics because of his campaign style. Anti-vaccine views defeated President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary.Joan Quinnipiac polling It shows Biden with 70 percent support among Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters, while Kennedy has 17 percent support among those groups.
Omeed Malik, Chief Executive Officer, Colombier Acquisition Corp, NYSE, June 17, 2021.
Source: NYSE
After leaving Fox, Carlson played an early role in the 2024 presidential election.He recently hosted the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa and interviewed six Republican presidential candidate.
1789 Capital is also linked to another prominent financier and potential investor in Carlson’s firm: billionaire and large Republican donor Rebekah Mercer. PitchBook lists Mercer as an executive at 1789 Capital.new york post report Mercer and Masters are among investors in a fund owned by 1789 Capital called EIG, or Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Growth.
Masters are listed on the 1789 Capital website as members of the Advisory Board.
Mercer has a history of supporting conservative causes. She and members of the Mercer family previously helped fund Breitbart News.
Rebekah Mercer is also an investor in Parler, a social media platform designed to appeal to conservatives and later founded closure After being sold. A spokesman for Mercer did not respond to a request for comment.
The Mercers supported candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 election. Rebecca’s father, Robert, has donated more than $15 million to the super PAC that first backed Sen. Ted Cruz’s failed campaign and later Trump.
Robert Mercer too investor The now-defunct data firm Cambridge Analytica has been accused of collecting voter Facebook data to support Cruz and Trump at various moments. The company has denied the claims. Rebekah Mercer is a member of the company’s Board of Directors.