Piers Morgan has parted ways with Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in a move aimed at expanding his popular Uncensored YouTube show, ending months of speculation about his future at News UK.
The outspoken broadcaster will now operate independently, having taken ownership of its uncensored brand and 3.6 million strong subscriber base.
Morgan, 59, chose not to renew his contract with News UK, where he has a £50m deal covering columns, book rights and TalkTV. His departure seemed inevitable after he stepped back from his late-night TV show TalkTV – where he complained it was “restraining” – to focus on streaming on YouTube. The uncensored channel will now be developed independently, allowing greater flexibility in scheduling and content creation, especially in the US and other international markets.
Under a four-year partnership struck through Morgan’s Wake Up Productions, Rupert Murdoch’s company will retain a share of advertising revenue. However, Morgan will run Uncentriced outside of News UK’s direct supervision, while continuing to write columns for its newspapers and delivering a book to publisher HarperCollins this year.
Explaining his decision, Morgan said: “Owning the brand allows me and my team the freedom to focus exclusively on building Uncensored into a stand-alone business, editorially and commercially, in a timely manner, and expanding it solely from me and my content.”
Morgan’s guest list saw notable figures such as Donald Trump, Jordan Peterson, Volodymyr Zelensky, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Cristiano Ronaldo discussing the uncensored topic. He hinted that Elon Musk may soon join this list. While continuing his combative style of interviews, Morgan emphasized that YouTube – unlike traditional linear television – allows him to broadcast live discussions at any time to a global audience.
Scott Taunton, head of broadcasting at News UK, said the new model gives Morgan “the flexibility to grow his own business by leveraging his position as a true global opinion maker” and keeps the two parties linked commercially. Morgan also signed a deal with US-based Red Seat Ventures to help monetize his brand further through sponsorships and additional revenue streams.
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