OutKick is an American sports and political commentary website owned by Fox Corporation. Founded by Clay Travis, the site features news, opinion pieces, and podcasts surrounding sports and popular culture, presented from a conservative perspective. Travis sold the company to Fox Corporation in 2021, with the site integrated into the Fox Sports division. The site also synergizes with Fox News.
 | |
| Type | Sports news |
|---|---|
| Format | Online |
| Owner(s) | Fox Corporation |
| Founder(s) | Clay Travis |
| Editor | Gary Schreier |
| Staff writers | Clay Travis, Tomi Lahren, Dan Dakich, Jonathan Hutton, Chad Withrow, Charly Arnolt, Trey Wallace, Armando Salguero, Bobby Burack, David Hookstead, Joe Kinsey, Geoff Clark, Tyrus |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Political alignment | Right-wing |
| Language | English |
| City | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Country | United States |
| Website | www |
History
editFoundation
editThe site was founded in 2011 by Clay Travis as OutKick the Coverage.[1]
In June 2020, Jason Whitlock, an ex-Fox Sports host, joined the company. As part of an accompanying rebranding, the site's title was also shortened to simply OutKick.[2][3] Despite buying a one-third stake in the company when he joined, Whitlock quickly entered a feud with the other two owners, Travis and Sam Savage, as Savage had been with the company at the start, and as such never "purchased" a stake in the company. Whitlock spent $500,000 for his stake. Whitlock argued that Savage was not putting his "sweat" into the company, and issued an ultimatum: either Savage invests $500,000 into the company, or he will leave. This investment never came and Whitlock left OutKick in early 2021.[4]
Fox acquisition
editTravis sold the company to the Fox Corporation on May 6, 2021, stating that the new ownership of the website will allow it to dramatically grow in size and reach a broader audience.[5] Variety assessed that the purchase was for Fox to have a rival to Barstool Sports, which also saw a massive increase in internet popularity from 2020 to 2021.[6][7]
The website hired social media personality Tomi Lahren as a new personality to host its afternoon opinion talk-show in June 2022.[8]
After its acquisition by Fox, OutKick grew from 10 employees prior to the acquisition to over 50, and opened a new larger office in Nashville in March 2023.[9]
On July 31, 2023, Fox News streaming service Fox Nation began to carry OutKick video content, including episodes of its shows OutKick The Show, Tomi Lahren Is Fearless and Gaines For Girls following their premieres on OutKick and YouTube.[10]
On January 25, 2024, it was announced that wrestler Tyrus—a Fox News contributor and regular panelist on its talk show Gutfeld!—would helm a new show for the platform entitled Maintaining with Tyrus.[11] As of 2024, OutKick's annual revenue was estimated at somewhere between $345,000 and $620,000.[12]
Content
editOutKick features news and opinion articles relating to sports, pop culture, and sports betting.[1] OutKick describes itself as being a conservative alternative to mainstream sports news outlets that serve the "elite, left-leaning minority instead of the American sports fan", and stated that it aimed to "[expose] the destructive nature of ‘woke’ activism".[13] Travis alleged a liberal bias by ESPN in its reporting on Michael Sam (the first openly gay person to be drafted to an NFL team) and U.S. national anthem protests as examples.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b McCarthy, Michael (May 4, 2020). "Clay Travis Bets Big On Outkick The Coverage's Future". Front Office Sports. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Bleier, Evan. "Ex-Fox Sports Host Jason Whitlock Joining Clay Travis at Outkick". insidehook.com. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ McCarthy, Michael (June 30, 2020). "Jason Whitlock Drives New Readers To Rebranded Outkick". Front Office Sports. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Bleier, Evan. "Jason Whitlock Reveals Why He Left Clay Travis and Outkick". insidehook.com. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Bleier, Evan. "Clay Travis Selling Right-Wing Sports News Site Outkick to Fox". insidehook.com. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "Fox Buys Clay Travis' 'Outkick' Sports-News Site". Variety. May 5, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Strauss, Ben. "Clay Travis's Outkick to be acquired by Fox Corporation". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Mastrangelo, Dominick. "Tomi Lahren inks deal with conservative media outlet Outkick". The Hill. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Rau, Nate. "Outkick expands presence in Nashville". Axios. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "'OutKick' Shows Launch On Fox Nation". tvnewscheck.com. July 31, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Weprin, Alex (January 25, 2024). "Fox News Contributor Tyrus to Host Interview Series for Outkick (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "OutKick Net Worth and Earnings (March 2024)". Net Worth Spot. March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "Once an Escape, Sports Talk Embraces Politics". The New York Times. February 10, 2024. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.