Fox News launched its subscription-driven online video channel Fox Nation on Tuesday after months of promotion and a low-rent Sunday night kick-off show—one that seemed weird at the time but actually proved to be an accurate representation of the $5.99/month streaming service.
At first glance, Fox Nation appears to be a cornucopia of fresh content. A closer look, however, reveals most of the programming to simply be old far-right “documentaries” with titles like The Great Food Stamp Binge and United Nations Blood Money—most of which aired on Fox News or elsewhere up to ten years ago, though many have misleading “airdates.”
A Greg Gutfeld-hosted program about car chases, titled You Couldn't Stop Watching, is clearly not, as alleged by Fox (despite Gutfeld’s now fully gray hair), from three weeks ago:
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What else do you get for your $5.99 per month?
Links to audio versions of Fox News programs, Fox News Radio simulcasts, and the handful of new shows—some of which, having clearly been taped some time ago, are already out-of-date in the news cycle.
Some feature shoddy camerawork, and others wonky audio issues; none of them look particularly professional, and combined with the low-rent personalities appearing on them, Fox Nation looks more like a deranged YouTuber’s favorites page than the website of a cable-news titan.
That’s even considering the “real” Fox News personalities who’ve been roped into creating content for the platform.
While Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney is more than happy for a new place to push the Trump agenda, former White House press secretary Dana Perino’s Book Club more resembles a hostage proof-of-life video.
By far, though, the weirdest thing on Fox Nation is a propaganda video—hosted by Fox Business personality Maria Bartiromo—dedicated to Eric Trump. The nearly 40-minute feature highlights the president’s second son, his family, and the company business, scored throughout with bizarre music that can only be described as “DJ Tiësto, but in the year 1760.” Bartiromo's interview with the younger Trump was conducted in front of a bank vault.
Meanwhile, the platform’s most heavily hyped program—UN-P.C., hosted by former pro wrestler Tyrus and former towing-lot attendant-abuser Britt McHenry—is set to air on Thursday evening.
Other yet-to-premiere programs are on the site’s homepage—many already equipped with trailers, like that for the incredibly dumb-looking Cooking with Steve Doocy or Scandalous: Chappaquiddick.
Don’t take our word for it, though. Up top we’ve included a carefully curated highlight reel of sorts to demonstrate Fox Nation’s launch-day programming.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct scheduled premiere date for UN-P.C.
