Fox Broadcasting Company
On the 9th of October 1986, the Fox Broadcasting Company officially launched its signal from a cluster of six major U.S. cities, marking the first serious attempt to challenge the Big Three networks since DuMont folded decades earlier. News Corporation paid $255 million for half of TCF Holdings and another $2.55 billion to acquire Metromedia's stations in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and Dallas. Barry Diller, who had previously tried to build a fourth network at Paramount, orchestrated this strategy with ruthless precision. The Federal Communications Commission approved the station acquisitions in March 1986, allowing the new network to begin operations with a combined reach of 22% of American households. Unlike its predecessors, Fox did not need to adhere to strict Financial Interest and Syndication Rules because it initially operated as a group of independent stations rather than a full network. This regulatory loophole allowed Fox to generate revenue in ways forbidden to established broadcasters. The network debuted with a late-night talk show hosted by Joan Rivers called The Late Show, which quickly failed to compete with NBC's The Tonight Show. By early 1987, Rivers and her husband Edgar Rosenberg quit after creative disagreements, leaving the program to rely on guest hosts until it was eventually canceled. The network's prime time lineup finally expanded on the 5th of April 1987, premiering Married... with Children and The Tracey Ullman Show. These shows were rebroadcast twice that night to allow viewers to sample programming without missing popular CBS or NBC shows like 60 Minutes. Despite these efforts, many affiliates remained skeptical, and some dropped the network entirely due to weak ratings. The first major hit arrived in 1989 when The Simpsons broke into the Top 30 Nielsen rankings, becoming the longest-running animated series in history.
The trajectory of Fox shifted dramatically between 1990 and 2000 as it moved from experimental comedy to defining cultural phenomena. In April 1990, the sketch comedy series In Living Color launched, creating memorable characters and launching careers for Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, and Jennifer Lopez. That same year, Fox aired a live special episode of In Living Color during Super Bowl XXVI, establishing a counterprogramming strategy against the traditional halftime show. By 1994, The X-Files became the network's first series to crack the Top 20 most-watched programs, proving that science fiction could drive mainstream success. The network also experimented heavily with reality television in the late 1990s, producing sensationalistic shows like Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? and Joe Millionaire. These programs were considered controversial but drew massive audiences. In 2005, American Idol emerged as the single most dominant program on 21st-century U.S. television, peaking at 38 million viewers during its 2003 season finale. This reality singing competition helped Fox leapfrog its Big Three competitors to become the highest-rated network in the 18, 49 demographic for the first time. The show remained in the Nielsen Top 10 for eleven years and was the last non-sports program to lead national prime-time ratings until the end of NBC's Friends era. Other hits followed, including House, which became Fox's first drama to reach the Top 10 in 2006, and Glee, which premiered in 2009 and earned critical acclaim despite average initial ratings. The network also launched adult animation blocks starting in 1997 with King of the Hill, followed by Family Guy and Futurama in 1999. Although some series were canceled quickly, strong DVD sales and cable reruns allowed Fox to revive popular titles like Family Guy in 2005.
In December 1993, Fox signed a four-year contract worth $1.58 billion to televise games from the National Football Conference, stripping CBS of football rights for the first time since 1955. This deal included exclusive U.S. television rights to Super Bowl XXXI in 1997 and marked the moment Fox became a viable competitor against established networks. The NFL selected Fox over CBS because Fox offered significantly more money than CBS's bid of $295 million per year. To staff its coverage, Fox poached Pat Summerall, John Madden, Dick Stockton, and other production personnel directly from CBS Sports. The acquisition forced immediate affiliation switches across the country as Fox sought to improve local coverage. On the 23rd of May 1994, Fox agreed to purchase a 20% stake in New World Communications, which led to twelve stations switching affiliations from CBS, ABC, or NBC to Fox starting in September 1994. Another joint venture called SF Broadcasting purchased four stations from Burnham Broadcasting that also switched to Fox between 1995 and 1996. These deals spurred a series of realignments affecting thirty television markets nationwide. The network acquired New World outright on the 17th of July 1996, in a $2.48 billion stock purchase, making those twelve affiliates owned-and-operated stations. By August 2000, Fox bought several stations from Chris-Craft Industries for $5.5 billion, temporarily becoming the largest owner of television stations in the U.S. before Sinclair Broadcast Group took the title. The NFL contract fundamentally changed how networks operated, proving that sports could drive affiliate growth and advertiser value more effectively than scripted drama alone.
Fox achieved its first sweeps victory in total viewership and demographic ratings in February 2005, boosted by Super Bowl XXXIX and hits like American Idol, House, and The O.C. By the 21st of May 2008, Fox outranked CBS as the most-watched network overall in the United States, attributed to Super Bowl XLII coverage and strong performances from Idol and House. This made Fox the only non-Big Three network to top overall Nielsen ratings since its inception. However, the network suffered a collapse during the 2012, 13 season when American Idol and Glee experienced steep declines, causing total viewership to drop by 22%. Fox fell to third place in total viewership and second in the 18, 49 demographic, ending an eight-year streak of leading that age group. The decline continued into 2013, 14, with Fox placing fourth among major networks for the first time since 2001. In response, Fox abandoned traditional pilot orders in January 2014, opting instead to pick up shows directly to series. This strategy yielded renewed success with Empire, which became the first show to consistently increase episode-to-episode viewership over five weeks since Roseanne in 1992. Empire entered the Top 10 by the end of the 2014, 15 season, marking a turnaround after years of instability. The network also broadcast Super Bowl LI in February 2017, attracting 111.3 million viewers and ranking among the top five most-watched games in history. Despite these highs, Fox faced challenges as American Idol ended its original run in 2016 after fifteen seasons, leaving a void that proved difficult to fill.
On the 27th of July 2018, 21st Century Fox shareholders agreed to sell key assets including 20th Century Fox and FX Networks to The Walt Disney Company for $71.3 billion. The deal excluded the Fox Broadcasting Company, television stations, and cable channels like Fox News and Fox Sports, which were spun off into a new entity called Fox Corporation. This separation occurred because FCC rules prohibit mergers between any two of the four major broadcast networks, meaning Disney could not acquire Fox Broadcasting directly. The transaction was completed on the 20th of March 2019, when Fox Corporation began trading publicly. Following the sale, Fox became the only major American broadcast network without attachment to a film studio. AMC president Charlie Collier succeeded Gary Newman as chairman and CEO of Fox on the 1st of November 2018. The network immediately pivoted toward non-scripted entertainment and sports programming to replace lost content from sold studios. Dana Walden moved to become chairwoman of Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment. Rob Wade was named Fox's new president of alternative entertainment and specials in March 2017, bringing experience from Dancing with the Stars and America's Got Talent. The transition marked a fundamental shift in how Fox operated, focusing on generating large audiences rather than relying solely on critical acclaim.
Fox now provides seventeen hours of regularly scheduled network programming each week, including fifteen hours of prime time and one hour of late-night repeats. The network airs adult animation blocks under the brand Animation Domination, featuring shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, and Krapopolis. These series are produced or co-produced by 20th Television, though some have moved to other networks before returning. In September 2024, Fox announced that 9-1-1: Lone Star would conclude after its fifth season, marking the end of scripted drama production for the network. Instead, Fox has focused on regular sports programming on Friday nights, beginning with a package of primetime college football games leveraging its Big Ten Conference contract. The network also acquired rights to Thursday Night Football, which finished as the second highest-rated series of the 2018, 19 season behind Sunday Night Football. WWE SmackDown moved to Fox on the 4th of October 2019, under a five-year contract valued at $205 million per year, but was lost to USA Network in September 2024. To replace it, Fox began airing Friday-night college football games starting in 2024. Non-scripted hits like The Masked Singer premiered to record Nielsen gains, finishing tied for third in key demographics alongside The Big Bang Theory. As of the 2nd of April 2025, Fox renewed four animated comedies including The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, and American Dad! for additional seasons, ensuring continued dominance in adult animation.
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Common questions
When did the Fox Broadcasting Company officially launch its signal?
The Fox Broadcasting Company officially launched its signal on the 9th of October 1986 from a cluster of six major U.S. cities.
What was the first major hit series for the Fox Broadcasting Company in 1989?
The Simpsons became the first major hit for the Fox Broadcasting Company in 1989 when it broke into the Top 30 Nielsen rankings and became the longest-running animated series in history.
How much money did Fox pay to televise games from the National Football Conference in December 1993?
Fox signed a four-year contract worth $1.58 billion to televise games from the National Football Conference in December 1993, which included exclusive rights to Super Bowl XXXI in 1997.
Who purchased key assets including 20th Century Fox and FX Networks from 21st Century Fox shareholders on July 27 2018?
The Walt Disney Company agreed to purchase key assets including 20th Century Fox and FX Networks from 21st Century Fox shareholders on the 27th of July 2018 for $71.3 billion.
When did Fox Corporation begin trading publicly after the sale of its assets?
Fox Corporation began trading publicly on the 20th of March 2019 following the completion of the transaction that excluded the Fox Broadcasting Company and television stations.