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Piers Morgan Moves on from News UK to Focus on Uncensored YouTube Channel
Piers Morgan has announced his departure from Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerate, transitioning to take full control of his YouTube channel, Piers Morgan Uncensored. This decision comes three years after he entered into a lucrative contract with News UK aimed at leading TalkTV, which concluded its traditional broadcast channel in the summer of 2023.
The agreement achieved between Morgan and News UK now allows him to fully own the Uncensored media brand via his production company, Wake Up Productions. This arrangement is part of a four-year partnership, wherein News UK maintains a financial stake and a revenue-sharing model in the YouTube channel, which currently boasts an audience of 3.6 million subscribers. Morgan aims to expand the channel’s presence, particularly targeting the American audience.
In a statement, Morgan expressed enthusiasm about owning the brand, stating, “This gives my team and I the autonomy to concentrate on developing Uncensored as a self-sufficient entity—both editorially and commercially. Over time, we will look to diversify beyond just my own content. My experience at News UK has been fantastic, and I’m pleased that we will continue to collaborate.”
Scott Taunton, who leads the broadcasting division at News UK, highlighted that the agreement illustrates the need for the company to adopt innovative strategies in partnering with prominent journalists to engage with global audiences through their established platforms.
Morgan’s relationship with News UK began in 2021 and encompassed a variety of roles, including hosting a primetime show on TalkTV, contributing columns for the Sun and New York Post, and writing a book under the Murdoch-owned HarperCollins publishing house. Nevertheless, following rising operational expenses and dwindling viewership, Morgan announced in February that he would step away from his daily evening show to concentrate on his YouTube venture, first introduced in 2022.
At that time, he described the obligations of a fixed schedule for a daily show as an “increasingly unnecessary straitjacket.” Shortly thereafter, in March 2023, News UK confirmed the closure of TalkTV’s linear channel, transitioning it to a solely online format. The channel had a rocky start, reportedly garnering “zero viewers” during some prime-time slots, such that its ratings were insufficient to be measured by the audience analytics firm Barb.
By December 2023, Morgan’s YouTube channel had achieved 2 million views, significantly trailing behind rival GB News, which reached 2.87 million. Additionally, it found difficulty competing with industry leaders Sky News, attracting 8.5 million viewers, and BBC News, which captured an audience of 11.4 million during the same month.
Despite these developments, it is believed that Morgan will continue to contribute articles for the Sun and New York Post, while also working on his upcoming book with HarperCollins this year.
Source
www.theguardian.com