Fox Adds Second-Day Hannity Episodes to Boost Streaming Service

(Bloomberg) -- Fox Corp. is adding next-day replays of its prime-time shows featuring Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham to its Fox Nation streaming service, a further blurring of the lines between its online and traditional TV content.

Starting on June 2, subscribers to Fox Nation can watch shows such as “The Ingraham Angle” on demand, the company said Tuesday. Fox had already begun releasing original content for the service featuring its biggest stars. A podcast and documentary series with Carlson began appearing on the service this year.

Media companies used to keep content exclusive to their pay-TV customers, who watch channels such as Fox News through cable and satellite subscriptions. Fees for those channels are a big source of the profits for cable TV programmers. But the ongoing march toward on-demand viewing -- and the lure of monthly subscription revenue -- is making such exclusivity hard to maintain.

Walt Disney Co. said Monday it would close 100 traditional TV networks overseas this year, shifting much of that content to its Disney+ streaming service. Disney and other broadcasters have also negotiated rights with sports leagues, such as the NFL, that allow them to put more games online.

Unlike other media giants, Fox hasn’t disclosed subscribers for its $6-a-month service, which launched in 2018. However, Chief Executive Officer Lachlan Murdoch said on an earnings call earlier this month that the addition of new content had helped increase customers by 40% since February.

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