Piers Morgan quits Rupert Murdoch’s News UK in deal over YouTube show
GuardianJan 08
Piers Morgan Exits Murdoch Media Group to Focus on YouTube Channel
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Above: Piers Morgan on Day One of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sept. 30, 2021. Image copyright: Mark Runnacles/Stringer/Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
The Facts
Piers Morgan has departed from Rupert Murdoch's News UK media group to take ownership of his Uncensored media brand through his production company, Wake Up Productions.
The deal includes a four-year revenue-sharing agreement with News UK, which will allow Murdoch's company to receive a portion of advertising revenue from Uncensored until 2029.
Morgan's Uncensored YouTube channel currently has 3.6M subscribers, outperforming his estimated television audience on TalkTV.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Piers Morgan's decision to double down on his Uncensored success is an astute and forward looking move. YouTube’s emphasis on watch time as a key revenue driver aligns perfectly with Morgan’s ability to deliver compelling, long-form content without the restrictions of cable TV. Morgan’s pivot also gives him creative freedom and direct control, effectively positioning him to build his own thriving global media brand.
Pro-establishment narrative
Piers Morgan Uncensored is a caricature of meaningful debate that trades substance for outrage and spectacle. Featuring endless rants about "woke culture" and divisive guests dogmatically rhetoricising, it reduces complex issues to entertainment. Viewers are weary of this binary, shallow style, especially during crises that demand nuance. Once hailed as bold, Morgan’s show now feels irrelevant — just noise in an already oversaturated media landscape.
