Disney has decided to cut ties with “Tucker Carlson Tonight” due to “the host’s polarizing point of view on the Black Lives Matter movement and the desire for justice and equality in America that many of its members advocate,” Deadline reports.
What happened:
- Disney joins T-Mobile and Papa John’s in taking its ads away from Fox News.
- Deadline said: “Or, put another way, putting money in Rupert Murdoch’s corporate pocket was not a branding position Disney or T-Mobile wanted to be in at this moment in America.”
- Fox News spokesperson told Deadline that all national dollars and ads were moved to other programs.
- An ABC spokesperson told Deadline: “The ABC advertisements were placed on the show without our knowledge by third party media buyers who were unaware that we do not advertise on the show, and they have now been notified not to place any further ads.”
Some context:
- Disney ran commercials 29 times on Carlson’s program in 2020, according to The New York Times.
- Disney reportedly asked a third-party media agency to stop airing its ads during “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
- The move comes as companies look to be more sensitive around brands they promote and associate with amid nationwide protests about racial injustice, police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement.