Breaking news TV host.
Image source: Getty Images.

Created in 1996 by Australian-born media magnate Rupert Murdoch, Fox News is the most-watched television news and opinion channel in the United States. It's been roundly criticized for its blending of news and entertainment, but it's been a massive financial success, accounting for 70% of profits for the Fox Corp. (FOXA 1.09%)(FOX 1.39%).

You can't invest in Fox News directly, but we'll tell you about how it fits into the scheme of things and how you can get exposure to the channel's stock.

Overview

What is Fox News?

Fox News has been the top-rated television news channel every year since 2002, and for good reason. More than 90% of its viewers identify themselves as Republicans or Republican-leaning voters. The channel began life with 17 million cable subscribers, paying distributors as much as $11 per customer to carry the channel. By 2024, it had 67 million subscribers.

Although Fox News is a global organization that's broadcast into more than 40 countries, it's very much a U.S.-focused channel. Its viewership not only skews conservative but considerably older. A 2019 Pew Research Center survey found that almost 70% of people who said Fox News was their main source of political information were 50 or older.

The news channel has been part of Fox Corp. since 2019. The company was created after the sale of 21st Century Fox to Walt Disney (DIS 2.67%). Unlike other news giants, Fox is controlled by a single family, with the elder Murdoch and his children controlling roughly 40% of all shares.

The Murdoch media empire is roughly divided into two units: News Corp (NWSA 0.68%)(NWS 0.66%), which controls the family-owned newspapers in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, and Fox Corp., which includes the broadcast assets such as FOX News Media, FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment, FOX Television Stations, and Tubi Media Group.

Murdoch stepped down as chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp in September 2023, when he was 92. He was succeeded by Lachlan, his oldest son from his second marriage, who had risen to executive chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Corp. after its 2019 creation in the wake of the Disney deal. (A family trust that would have given Lachlan permanent control of the Fox empire has been tangled up in litigation by three of his siblings with voting rights. A Nevada judge blocked the elder Murdoch's attempt to modify the trust in mid-2025.)

Because Fox News is a subsidiary of Fox Corp., it's not possible to buy stock that focuses only on the broadcast news operation. Although the Fox News Channel is clearly the crown jewel of the Fox Corp., other units account for almost one-third of the parent company's profits.

How to invest

How to invest in Fox News

1. Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.

2. Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.

3. Decide how many shares to buy:
Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.

4. Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.

5. Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.

6. Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.

Stock

A stock represents an ownership interest in a business. When a business wants to raise money, its board of directors determines the number of shares to issue.
Image of the step-by-step process for buying stock through Fidelity.
Image source: Fidelity.

Should I invest?

Should I invest in Fox News?

Here are some reasons you might consider passing on Fox News stock:

  • You don't agree with the company's political views.
  • You think the company faces a decline because of the average age of its Fox News viewers.
  • You believe television news will continue to decline as an information source.
  • You doubt the ability of a second generation of Murdochs to succeed.
  • You think Fox Corp. shares are trading at unrealistically high prices
  • Your portfolio already has enough media stocks.

On the other hand, you may want to go ahead and buy Fox Corp. stock if:

  • You think U.S. television news viewers are becoming more conservative.
  • You believe it's essential to have a conservative television news channel.
  • You think television news will continue to be a major source of political information.
  • You'd like to balance your portfolio with a media stock.
  • You think Fox Corp. stock is undervalued.

As with any other investment, there's a short answer to why you might consider investing in this stock: It depends. Factors that might affect your decision include the level of your portfolio diversification, personal risk tolerance, company and industry knowledge, and your assessment of Fox Corp.'s competitive position.

Profitability

Is Fox News profitable?

Fox Corp. reported $346 million in net income during its third quarter of fiscal 2025, a significant decrease from the $666 million recorded during the third quarter of 2023, due to higher operating expenses.

Fox Corp. is recovering from an $800 million settlement with Dominion Voting to settle defamation claims in April 2023, tacitly acknowledging that its news arm made false election fraud claims in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. A lawsuit by Smartmatic, also a voting machine manufacturing company, is still pending; the company is seeking $2.7 billion in damages.

The company posted $4.37 billion in revenue for the third quarter, which ended March 31, 2025. The figure was a 27% increase from the third quarter of 2024; the company attributed most of the increase to its telecast of the National Football League's Super Bowl.

Fox had been attempting to boost revenue through a joint streaming sports service with Disney's ESPN and ABC networks, as well as Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD 5.14%) channels TNT and TBS. The three giants scrapped the plan in January 2025, as the U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the deal for antitrust concerns; analysts had estimated the venture would control about $14.4 billion of the $26.7 billion spent on U.S. sports rights. Fox announced in May 2025 that it would launch Fox One, its own streaming service, before the NFL season begins in the fall.

Dividends

Does Fox pay a dividend?

Fox pays a semiannual dividend. As of June 2025, the trailing-12-month dividend was $0.54 per share, a yield of about 1%, which is slightly worse than the 1.3% for the S&P 500.

The company also has an aggressive $7 billion share repurchase program. Fox announced at the end of the third quarter that it had bought back $6.35 billion of its outstanding shares.

ETFs

ETFs with Fox exposure

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) allow investors to acquire the equivalent of a large, diversified stock portfolio through a single ticker that behaves like a stock. ETFs are excellent options for people who don't have time to research individual stocks to buy for a portfolio and would prefer a passive investment approach. As a member of the S&P 500, several exchange-traded funds hold Fox Corp. stock.

Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)

An exchange-traded fund, or ETF, allows investors to buy many stocks or bonds at once.

Top ETFs holding Fox stock include:

Communications Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLC 1.24%) has $20.8 billion in assets under management (AUM). Top holdings include Meta Platforms (META 1.21%), which makes up 16.3% of the fund; Alphabet Class A (GOOGL 1.37%), at 8.2% of holdings; and Netflix (NFLX -1.77%), which accounts for 7.2% of fund assets. Fox shares amount to 3.9% of the ETF's 26 holdings. The fund has a reasonable expense ratio of 0.08%; investors would pay $8 in fees for every $10,000 of shares purchased.

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY 0.54%), launched in 1993, was the first ETF listed in the United States. It has $575.8 billion in assets under management and is designed to track the performance of the S&P 500. The fund is weighted by market capitalization, so Fox -- with a market cap of roughly $24.1 billion -- barely amounts to a rounding error among its holdings. The ETF has an expense ratio of 0.0945%.

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV 0.56%), with assets of $579.9 billion, offers an ultra-low expense ratio of 0.03%, meaning that investors will only pay $3 in fees on a $10,000 purchase. Like other funds tied to the S&P 500 market caps, its top holdings will include Microsoft (MSFT -0.41%), Apple (AAPL 0.55%), and Nvidia (NVDA 0.86%).

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO 0.54%) is a behemoth among ETFs, with $1.3 trillion in total net assets. The fund, which also is weighted by market cap, has a low 0.03% expense ratio. The fund is quite accessible to beginning investors, with a minimum investment of $1.

Burney U.S. Factor Rotation ETF (BRNY -0.07%) has a bigger stake in Fox than any other fund, with 3% of its $347.2 million in assets committed to the company. It has an expense ratio of 0.79%, much more than what the funds tied to the S&P 500 charge. That amounts to $79 in fees for a $10,000 investment. During the last year, the ETF's shares had gained about 16.2%, an improvement over the 10.6% gain posted by the S&P 500.

Stock splits

Will Fox News stock split?

Fox Corp., the owner of Fox News, was only established in 2019. Its stock hovered around $55 per share in mid-2025, which usually would not be high enough to discourage retail investors from taking a stake in the company.

As a general rule, companies split their stock to bring high share prices down, encouraging more people to buy their stock. So, while it's possible, there doesn't seem to be any groundswell of support for a split.

Related investing topics

The bottom line on Fox

Investing in Fox isn't exactly for the faint of heart. The news channel has been criticized for its devotion to President Donald Trump. Its future success is also heavily dependent on a second generation of leadership and its ability to compete for lucrative sports rights.

Despite its issues, Fox News may still emerge as a decent financial investment, especially during hotly contested election cycles. Its share buyback program has benefited investors, and its sports-focused streaming plan might still win even more eyeballs.

As with any other stock, investors who are interested in Fox shares should consider their personal risk tolerance, portfolio diversification strategy, and whether Fox fits into their own investment thesis. As always, a buy-and-hold strategy is the wisest course of action.

FAQ

How to invest in Fox News stock: FAQ

Is Fox News a good stock?

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You can't buy shares of Fox News, but you can acquire stock in Fox Corp., its parent company. Whether it's a good stock for you depends on your portfolio composition, personal risk tolerance, and familiarity with Fox products.

Does Fox News have a stock?

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Fox News doesn't have a stock, but you can buy stock in its parent, Fox Corp.

What is the dividend on Fox News stock?

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Fox News isn't traded publicly, but its parent, Fox Corp., pays a semiannual dividend. In mid-2025, its trailing-12-month dividend was $0.54 per share, yielding about 1%.

Who owns the most Fox News stock?

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The Murdoch family owns roughly 40% of shares in Fox Corp., the parent company of Fox News.

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Frank Bass has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, Walt Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.