A 'pay or play' clause in Tucker Carlson's contract with Fox News could keep him off the air through the 2024 election: report

Fox News host Tucker Carlson discusses 'Populism and the Right' during the National Review Institute's Ideas Summit at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

• Tucker Carlson was abruptly fired from Fox News on April 24 with little explanation.
• The popular conservative news host seeks to return on the air soon, The New York Times reported.
• However, Carlson's contract with Fox could restrict him from doing so until 2025, per NYT.

Tucker Carlson's contract with Fox News could restrict the popular right-wing news host from getting back on the air until 2025, raising questions about whether he could return in time for the next election, The New York Times reported.

Carlson was abruptly fired from Fox News on April 24 after the company's $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. Since his ousting, the conservative commentator has said little to the public outside of a statement he posted on Twitter.

—Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) April 27, 2023

 

He has also expressed to people close to him a desire to make a swift return to the air, however, his contract with Fox News restricts him from working anywhere else until January 2025, sources familiar with the discussions told the Times.

One person with knowledge of Carlson's deal told the newspaper the former host's contract contains a "pay or play" clause that restricts network hosts from working with competitors for as long as they are under contract. 

A Fox News spokesperson did not return a request for comment.

Carlson was fired from Fox with little explanation. In the weeks before his termination, court records from the Dominion lawsuit revealed how the host privately doubted the baseless claims of election fraud that he aired on his show. More recent leaks show the former host making misogynistic comments and expressing a fantasy to see a "mob" kill an "Antifa kid."

Carlson's mark on the network was made clear days after his firing as viewership around the host's former primetime 8 p.m. slot plummeted by half. His exit also raises questions about what one of the most prominent conservative voices will do as the 2024 election approaches.

An attorney aiding Carlson in a deal with Fox did not respond to a request for comment.

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