Tucker Carlson Could Take a Third of His Fox News Viewers with Him

If Tucker Carlson responds to his surprise departure from Fox News by launching his own "independent internet show," 36 percent of Americans would be either "significantly likely" or "likely," to tune in, according to polling conducted exclusively for Newsweek.

Fox News announced it had parted ways with Carlson on April 24, with a statement thanking him "for his service to the network as a host." Carlson gave no indication he would be leaving Fox News during his final show on April 21, and his departure caused a backlash against the network from some conservatives.

Carlson's exit sparked immediate speculation about his next move. Some suggested that he could launch his own show online, while British bookmaker Betfair is offering odds on Carlson running for the presidency in 2024.

Sixteen percent of Americans would be "significantly likely" to watch an independent online show hosted by Carlson. This is according to a Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey of 1,500 U.S. eligible voters, conducted for Newsweek on April 30. Another 20 percent replied that they would "likely" be viewers. By contrast, 27 percent of respondents said they would be "significantly unlikely" to watch such a show, with another 17 percent for "unlikely" and 21 percent for "don't know."

The poll suggests a sizable proportion of Americans would be interested in watching an online show hosted by Carlson. This goes significantly beyond his viewing figures on Fox News for April 17 to 21, which were a little over 3 million each night.

In the week following his departure, Fox News ratings on what had been Carlson's 8 p.m. timeslot collapsed by 56 percent, averaging just 1.4 million. According to The Washington Post, viewership of Fox News in its entirety fell by 45 percent last week, compared to the final week Carlson was being broadcast.

Thomas Gift is founding director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London. He told Newsweek that Carson's departure will be a big blow for Fox News, and increase the challenge from other right-wing networks like Newsmax.

Gift said: "It's hard to overestimate Carlson's importance to Fox News. The massive ratings that he was able to bring in, combined with the precipitous drop in viewership at the 8 p.m. EDT hour since he left, is reflective of just how much Carlson had become the face of the Fox News franchise.

"The network's leadership seems to think he's replaceable, but that might prove overly optimistic," Gift added. "Just because in the past viewers have stuck with Fox News after, for example, the departure of Bill O'Reilly or Megyn Kelly doesn't mean they'll continue to do so post-Carlson. That's especially true now with the growth of so many new alternative outlets, like Newsmax, where viewers can get their right-wing fix."

Newsweek has contacted Tucker Carlson for comment by Facebook message and Twitter direct message, along with Fox News by email.