Streaming service Fox Nation is evolving from an extra helping of political opinion growing from the Fox News cable channel into what appears to be a general entertainment offering.
A new deal with Warner Brothers to stream a small selection of patriotic movies along with some classic grit from Clint Eastwood is only the latest example of the streaming options journey from being an add-on to its own thing.
The service has hardly abandoned the news audience. In May it announced that it’s Prime Time lineup would be available on demand the day after it aired. But it is an unmistakable admission that the appeal of more conservative commentary has not been enough to build a pay service.
Along with the upcoming deal with Warner Brothers Fox Nation has been offering reality series Duck Dynasty, a cooking show with famed southern comfort food queen Deen and a true-crime series led by Nancy Grace.
One has to question exactly why Fox Nation has have to diversify its lineup. Is it struggling to build an audience? Do viewers of the cable channel feel like there is already enough of what they want in one place mitigating the motivation to add a additional service?
Fox has seen great success with Tubi TV, a free streaming service built around movies and TV shows from numerous studios. It is the home of fox produced entertainment options like The Masked Singer. It is undeniable that the Fox News cable channel is hugely popular with its audience. Did Fox over estimate the appeal that its brand would have to its core? And can it find a way to Market 40 year old movies and 10 year old TV shows around current names in the conservative hierarchy? At the moment it looks like Fox Nation is losing its focus or that it never knew what it wanted to be when it started in the first place.
