Fox & Friends Takes Bold Step to Dominate Morning TV—New Strategy Aims to Shake Up the Industry and Win the Battle for Viewers and Advertisers!

Fox News’ flagship morning show, Fox & Friends, is making a bold move to further cement its dominance in the highly competitive morning-show market. As networks continue to fight for advertising dollars and viewer loyalty, the show is revamping its approach, introducing creative new ways to integrate brand partnerships into its programming. This shift aims not only to drive up viewership but also to increase revenue from advertisers by offering unique, in-show opportunities. The latest move has fans and industry insiders alike questioning how this strategy will affect the future of morning television.

Fox & Friends Rethinks Its Approach to Advertisers

In a move that marks a major shift in the way Fox & Friends approaches advertising, the show has begun integrating branded content directly into its segments. The show’s hosts—Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt, and Brian Kilmeade—are featured in taped video segments that spotlight a product partnership with Dodge. For several days in early May 2025, the trio can be seen driving Dodge Durango SRT vehicles during segments filmed in various locations, including Massapequa, outside the Fox News studio, and even in Florida.

The vignettes, which feature the hosts engaging with the vehicle in different settings, will spotlight the spaciousness of the vehicle, perfect for family use. “Fox & Friends” viewers will see the branded content woven seamlessly into the flow of the show, followed by an on-air graphic calling out the Dodge sponsorship, as well as traditional Dodge commercials.

“We think you are going to see a lot more from us in this area moving forward,” said Jeff Collins, the executive vice president of ad sales for Fox News Media. The push is part of an ongoing effort to capture a larger share of the morning-show ad dollars by offering more compelling, integrated sponsorship opportunities.

Shifting the Morning TV Landscape

Historically, Fox & Friends has delivered a loyal audience of conservative viewers. However, the shift to incorporating branded content within their morning segments marks a new direction for the network, further blurring the lines between editorial content and advertising. This change is meant to help the show—and by extension, Fox News—compete for the massive advertising revenue that flows into the morning show market.

While Fox & Friends traditionally aired a mix of news and political commentary, with a significant focus on conservative values, the move to feature embedded advertisements like the Dodge sponsorship is an effort to diversify the type of programming that is attractive to advertisers. As competition for morning TV advertising dollars grows, shows like Fox & Friends are increasingly seeking new ways to appeal to both viewers and sponsors alike.

The Battle for Morning TV Advertisers

The morning TV market has long been dominated by major broadcast networks like NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America. These shows have lucrative advertising deals in place, with commercial slots on the shows commanding high prices. For example, a 30-second ad on NBC’s Today in 2018 cost around $42,700, while Good Morning America’s ad spots went for $34,800.

In contrast, Fox & Friends has typically offered a more affordable advertising option, with a 30-second ad costing $3,400 in 2018, according to Standard Media Index. By creating integrated advertising opportunities within their shows, such as the Dodge partnership, Fox & Friends hopes to capture more of those premium ad dollars from clients looking to target large, live audiences at a more affordable price point.

The advantage for Fox News, as Collins points out, is that Fox & Friends delivers a substantial live audience with strong engagement, but at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional broadcast morning shows. This gives advertisers an attractive alternative for reaching a key demographic without breaking the bank.

The Role of Product Placement and Integration

The increasing use of product placement and branded content within TV shows is a growing trend, particularly in the digital age, where traditional advertising methods are becoming less effective. By inserting sponsor messages into Fox & Friends segments, Fox News is tapping into a broader market of advertisers, particularly those from more entertainment-focused industries like movie studios and quick-service restaurants.

Collins added that Fox News anticipates strong interest from such advertisers, particularly in light of the upcoming 2024 election cycle and the ongoing shifts in TV viewership habits. With more and more viewers migrating to streaming platforms, live TV programs, especially news-focused ones, are becoming even more valuable. As a result, Fox News is positioning Fox & Friends to capture this valuable market segment through creative ad deals.

The Ethics of Sponsored Content: Navigating Challenges

While these new sponsorship deals present a potential revenue boon for Fox News, they also raise important questions about the boundaries of editorial content and advertising. The use of sponsored content in a traditionally journalistic format has been met with both praise and criticism. Critics argue that these types of deals risk blurring the lines between journalism and marketing, potentially undermining the credibility of the show’s content.

However, Fox News has been clear that these sponsorships will not interfere with hard news or political commentary segments. Collins confirmed that Fox News has strict “standards-and-practices guidelines” in place to prevent brands from influencing editorial content. “We typically don’t create these sorts of sponsorships around segments devoted to hard news and politics,” Collins explained. The goal is to keep the show’s news content free from commercial influence while focusing on lifestyle, health, wellness, and entertainment segments for branded content opportunities.

This carefully considered strategy allows Fox News to balance its commercial interests with maintaining editorial integrity in its more serious programming. Whether this model proves sustainable will depend on how viewers respond to the growing presence of branded content within the show.

The Future of Fox & Friends and Cable News

Fox & Friends has long been a staple in morning television, providing a conservative perspective in a competitive landscape dominated by liberal-leaning networks. By exploring innovative ways to bring in advertising dollars, the show is not just adapting to the changing media landscape, but is actively shaping it. With new, creative approaches to integrating branded content, Fox & Friends has positioned itself as a formidable force in the battle for advertising revenue.

The upcoming election cycle could prove to be a critical test for this strategy. As political discourse intensifies and media consumption habits continue to shift, the demand for live television with built-in engagement will likely rise. Fox & Friends is ready to capitalize on that demand by offering advertisers opportunities to reach a highly engaged audience.

Conclusion: A New Era of Morning Television

Fox News’ Fox & Friends is embracing a bold, new strategy to capture a larger share of the morning-show advertising market. By integrating branded content into its segments and offering new sponsorship opportunities, the show is positioning itself to compete with the major broadcast networks while maintaining its appeal to conservative viewers. The inclusion of innovative partnerships like the Dodge campaign marks a shift toward blending traditional broadcasting with modern advertising trends, and only time will tell whether this gamble will pay off.

As the battle for advertising dollars heats up, Fox & Friends is staking its claim as a major player in the morning TV landscape. The question now is whether this new strategy will elevate the show’s ratings and revenue—or whether it will face growing scrutiny from viewers and critics alike. Regardless, one thing is certain: Fox & Friends is shaking up the industry in a way that will leave its competitors scrambling to catch up.