• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, February 5, 2025

How do you change the views of a significant contingent of young media and TV consumers who have many strong and negative views -- including current news content?

“You buy Fox News,” says Mark Cuban, the noted billionaire investor/“Shark Tank” personality, speaking with media/tech publication Wired.

How much would that be? About $15 billion to $20 billion, he guesses.

Fox News Channel is key -- along with the Fox Television Network. They are two of the most profitable pieces of Fox Corp.

Cuban says young media consumers, formerly known as “sex, drugs, and rock and roll,” have become an audience that, in his view, condemns movements like Black Lives Matter and is heavily influenced by Fox News.

Looking at the broader perspective of those major Fox News viewers, Cuban says baby boomers have shifted their views over time. He calls them the “Fox News generation.”

The question would be what to change it into -- and why? And we can add another question: Why would the Murdochs then sell it?

The only way this might play out would be if Fox News was seeing massive declines at a live, linear TV networks business, which currently includes Fox News Channel in its current form.

No doubt by that time, the Murdochs then would have transitioned its “flagship” business to Fox News Channel as a 24/7 streaming franchise.

Still, a version of Fox News Channel -- as a linear, live TV network -- might still be of value, especially to those older consumers/viewers -- who, for some reason, are resistant to digital change.

For his part, Cuban admitted he couldn’t be a buyer for sure. "I don't have $15 or $20 billion in cash sitting around.”

Cuban's current net worth is estimated at $5.7 billion.

Of course, the next big question of acquisition may be what type of news content would air in what Cuban might see as the new Fox News.

The long-time conservative and heavily opinionated news channel -- especially in prime time -- has had some issues with on-air prime-time talent who departed.

How much it might change -- and not alienate devoted Fox News viewers -- would be a huge and very sensitive task.