Fox News is owned by Fox Corporation and operates within its Fox News Media division. That structure matters because the news outlet, its parent company, and its leaders are not the same thing. When a company has more than one share class, combined voting power means the total voting rights attached to eligible share classes, which may differ from the number of shares owned.
Readers trying to understand media ownership can find the answer confusing when a familiar channel sits inside a larger public company. This guide explains the ownership chain, the Murdoch family’s influence, and how voting rights differ from executive leadership. It also separates Fox Corporation from other companies that share the Fox name.
Key Takeaways
- Fox Corporation owns Fox News through Fox News Media.
- Fox Corporation is publicly traded, but Fox News is not separately listed.
- The Murdoch Family Trust has substantial voting influence.
- Shareholder voting rights and business leadership are separate issues.
- Disney owns some former 21st Century Fox assets, not Fox Corporation.
The Murdoch family’s influence comes through voting control, while Fox Corporation is the publicly traded parent.
Who Owns Fox News Company Today?
Fox Corporation owns Fox News through Fox News Media, rather than Fox News operating as a separately listed company. The parent is the public company, while the news outlet is part of its business.
Fox News is not a standalone publicly traded company. Fox Corporation became a standalone public company on March 19, 2019, after separating television broadcasting, news, and sports assets from 21st Century Fox.
That means people asking who owns Fox News Company today, now, or in the United States receive the same ownership answer. Fox Corporation is listed, while Fox News itself has no separate stock listing. A buyer of Fox Corporation stock buys a share in the parent, not direct ownership of one channel.
Fox News has no separate public stock listing; Fox Corporation is the listed parent company.
Ownership and leadership also answer different questions. A company’s owners hold shares or voting rights, while its executives run daily operations. Those roles can overlap, but they do not mean the same thing.
Fox Corporation owns several businesses beyond Fox News, so its stock reflects a broader company. A private business can have no public ticker, while a public company’s ticker identifies its listed shares, as this guide to private company shares and public stock explains by contrast.
The company’s annual report describes Fox Corporation as a separate public company following its separation from 21st Century Fox. Readers can review the Fox Corporation 2025 annual report for details about its business and corporate structure.
To identify the public company behind the outlet, look for Fox Corporation rather than a separate Fox News stock.
How Does the Murdoch Family Trust Shape Fox Ownership?
The Murdoch Family Trust controls approximately 42% of Fox Corporation’s combined voting power. That gives the Murdoch family substantial influence over shareholder decisions without making the trust the owner of every share.
Approximately 42% is not a majority of total voting power. Voting influence describes the right to cast votes on company matters, while direct ownership describes who holds shares or benefits from them.
What the trust controls
The trust’s voting rights can affect decisions that shareholders bring forward. Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch are the father and son most closely associated with the family’s media business.
A trust is a legal arrangement that holds or manages assets for beneficiaries. Its control of votes does not mean each beneficiary personally owns the same shares or can freely sell them.
How voting influence differs from share ownership
Fox Corporation has two share classes, and they do not carry identical voting rights. A person may own shares without holding the same share of voting power as another investor.
This distinction appears in other companies too. For example, a share pledge and its voting power can differ from the number of shares someone holds outright.
Voting power matters most when shareholders consider board members or other formal company matters. It does not make the trust a separate owner of Fox News, which remains within Fox Corporation’s business.
Read that percentage as a substantial voting stake, not as proof that the trust owns all of Fox Corporation.
What Do Fox Corporation’s Share Classes Mean?
Fox Corporation has two listed common-stock classes, and their tickers are FOXA and FOX. Each ticker identifies a different share class of the parent company.
Neither ticker represents Fox News as a separate company. Investors who trade one of these shares are trading Fox Corporation stock, not ownership in a standalone news outlet.
A ticker is the short code used to identify a listed share on an exchange. Fox Corporation Class A common stock trades as FOXA, while Class B common stock trades as FOX on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
| Share class | Nasdaq ticker | Status as a Fox Corporation listing |
|---|---|---|
| Class A common stock | FOXA | Listed on Nasdaq Global Select Market |
| Class B common stock | FOX | Listed on Nasdaq Global Select Market |
The two ticker symbols can look similar, but they refer to separate classes. A ticker does not show how much of the company a person owns, and it does not describe the company’s full voting rules.
Fox Corporation’s filings list both classes and their Nasdaq symbols. Readers comparing public shares can also see how a familiar ticker, such as Apple’s AAPL stock symbol, identifies a listed company rather than one of its products.
Check the ticker carefully, because FOX and FOXA identify different share classes.
Who Can Vote at Fox Corporation’s Annual Meeting?
At the November 4, 2026 annual meeting, voting on the matters presented is limited to Class B common stockholders. The eligibility rule applies to those meeting matters, not necessarily every corporate decision.
Class A common stockholders are not entitled to vote on the matters presented at this meeting. Fox Corporation scheduled the meeting for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
The meeting notice gives three useful details:
- Date and time: November 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
- Format: exclusively by live webcast.
- Voting class: Class B common stockholders may vote on the matters presented.
These rules apply to the matters listed for this annual meeting. They do not establish voting rights for every possible company action, since the rules for other decisions may differ.
The official 2026 annual meeting proxy statement gives the date, webcast format, and voting eligibility. That notice is the clearest place to check what shareholders may vote on at this meeting.
Class A holders should not assume they can vote on those meeting matters simply because they own Fox Corporation stock.
Who Runs Fox Corporation?
Lachlan Murdoch is Fox Corporation’s Executive Chair and CEO. He leads the company’s active executive work, which is different from holding shareholder voting rights.
Lachlan Murdoch is the CEO of Fox Corporation. The role places him in charge of the company’s day-to-day direction, while the board and shareholders have separate governance roles.
Rupert Murdoch serves as Chairman Emeritus of Fox Corporation and News Corp. An emeritus title reflects an honorary or advisory connection, rather than the active executive job held by the CEO.
The distinction can help explain why Rupert Murdoch remains linked to the company’s history and family business, while Lachlan holds the current executive post. A family connection does not by itself define who runs each company.
Fox Corporation’s leadership can change without changing the company’s legal ownership. Likewise, a person’s public profile does not show how many shares that person owns or how many votes those shares carry.
Rupert Murdoch’s emeritus title is distinct from the active executive role held by Lachlan.
Does Disney Own Fox Corporation?
No, Disney does not own Fox Corporation; the two companies separated when Disney acquired 21st Century Fox assets in 2019. The companies took different paths during that transaction.
Fox Corporation retained broadcasting, news, and sports businesses. The Walt Disney Company completed its acquisition of the remaining 21st Century Fox assets on March 20, 2019.
What Disney acquired
Disney acquired assets that included 20th Century Fox, FX Networks, and other film, television-production, cable-entertainment, and satellite businesses. The increased offer was valued at $71.3 billion.
Those assets belonged to 21st Century Fox before the deal. The name can cause confusion because Fox Corporation continued as a separate company after the sale.
What remained with Fox Corporation
Fox Corporation began operating separately on March 19, 2019. It kept broadcasting, news, and sports operations, including Fox News and national Fox Sports businesses.
| Asset category | Fox Corporation retained | Disney acquired |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcast and stations | Fox Broadcasting Company and Fox Television Stations | No named broadcast network in the transaction description |
| News and sports | Fox News and national Fox Sports operations | No Fox News or national Fox Sports operation in the transaction description |
| Film, production, and cable | Broadcasting, news, and sports focus | 20th Century Fox, FX Networks, film, television-production, and cable-entertainment assets |
Fox Corporation’s fiscal year 2026 ended June 30, 2026, years after the split. Its continuing business shows that the parent did not become part of Disney.
The key distinction is that Disney bought assets from 21st Century Fox, while Fox Corporation continued as a separate company.
How Is Fox Corporation Different From News Corp?
Fox Corporation and News Corp are separate companies with different business portfolios. The shared history can make their names seem interchangeable, but their main assets differ.
Fox Corporation centers on television, news, and sports, while News Corp holds publishing interests. The two companies came from a corporate split, then developed as separate businesses.
Fox Corporation’s broadcast and news businesses
Fox Corporation includes broadcast television, local stations, news, sports, and entertainment businesses. Fox Broadcasting Company and Fox News are two examples of its media operations.
Its focus is different from the newspaper and book publishing assets held by News Corp. The separate company structure also means Fox Corporation does not own every business with a Murdoch family connection.
News Corp’s publishing businesses
News Corporation separated into 21st Century Fox and News Corp in 2013. The later 2019 formation of Fox Corporation came from selected broadcast, news, and sports assets.
News Corp includes The Wall Street Journal and HarperCollins. These publishing businesses sit outside Fox Corporation, even though the companies share a family history.
| Topic | Fox Corporation | News Corp |
|---|---|---|
| Business focus | Television broadcasting, news, and sports | Publishing, news, and information services |
| Named assets | Fox Broadcasting Company and Fox News | The Wall Street Journal and HarperCollins |
| Corporate history | Formed in 2019 from selected 21st Century Fox assets | Established as a separate company in the 2013 split |
When a company name appears in a headline, checking its business portfolio helps avoid confusing the two corporations. Their assets and reporting lines are separate.
The Wall Street Journal belongs to the News Corp side of the family’s media businesses, not to Fox Corporation.
What Businesses Sit Under Fox Corporation?
Fox Corporation is a portfolio of television, news, sports, entertainment, and digital businesses, not just Fox News. Its reach includes national programming, local stations, and streaming services.
Five divisions organize much of the company’s work. Together, they show how the parent company connects news and sports with entertainment and digital products.
Broadcasting and local television
Fox Broadcasting Company provides a national broadcast network, while Fox Television Stations operates local stations. Those stations bring programming and local coverage to viewers in different markets.
The company’s five divisions are:
- Fox Entertainment
- Fox Television Stations
- Fox News Media
- Fox Sports Media Group
- Tubi Media Group
Sports, entertainment, and streaming
Fox Sports Media Group covers the company’s sports operations. Fox Entertainment handles entertainment businesses, while Tubi Media Group includes digital and streaming activity.
Fox Corporation’s assets include Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Television Stations, Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Sports, and Tubi. The division names help group those assets, but each brand serves a different audience and purpose.
For example, a local station is not the same kind of business as a national cable channel. A streaming service also reaches viewers in a different way from a broadcast network.
Fox News is one important division within a wider group that also includes broadcast, sports, entertainment, and streaming operations.
What Does Fox News Media Operate?
Fox News Media operates far more than Fox News Channel, with services spanning television, digital, audio, books, subscriptions, international distribution, and weather. The division groups several brands under one news business.
Fox News Channel is only one service within Fox News Media. Other services reach audiences through apps, websites, podcasts, books, and subscription products.
Television news and business channels
Fox News Channel carries the division’s main cable news programming. Fox Business Network focuses on business coverage, while Fox Weather provides weather content.
The division’s nine Fox News Media services include Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox News Digital, Fox News Podcasts, Fox News Audio, Fox News Books, Fox Nation, Fox News International, and Fox Weather.
Digital, audio, and subscription services
Fox News Digital, Fox News Podcasts, and Fox News Audio extend the brand beyond television. Fox News Books adds publishing, while Fox Nation and Fox News International serve subscription and international audiences.
Maria Bartiromo was no longer with Fox News Media effective September 3, 2026. That personnel change concerns the division’s staffing, not Fox Corporation’s ownership structure.
The range of services matters when a person says “Fox News,” because the phrase may refer to the channel or the broader division. The brands share an operator but do not offer the same format.
Keep the umbrella division, Fox News Media, distinct from the individual cable channel, Fox News Channel.
How Does Fox News Compare With CNN and MS NOW?
Fox News had the largest audience of the three networks in both October 2026 measures. Its lead appeared in primetime and across the total day.
Fox News averaged 1.7 million primetime viewers and 1.1 million total-day viewers. Those figures compare cable-news audiences, not everyone who gets news from any source.
Primetime audience
In October 2026, Fox News averaged 1.7 million primetime viewers. MS NOW averaged 925,000, while CNN averaged 598,000.
Total-day audience
For the same month, Fox News averaged 1.1 million total-day viewers. MS NOW averaged 588,000, and CNN averaged 402,000.
| Network | Average primetime viewers | Average total-day viewers |
|---|---|---|
| Fox News | 1.7 million | 1.1 million |
| MS NOW | 925,000 | 588,000 |
| CNN | 598,000 | 402,000 |
Primetime counts viewers during the evening programming period. Total-day figures cover a wider span, so the two measures answer different questions about audience size.
These ratings do not count every person who watches online, reads news, or listens to radio. They describe the stated cable-news measures for that month.
Keep the daypart in view when comparing ratings, because primetime and total-day audiences are different measures.
Who Watches and Trusts Fox News?
Fox News’s reach and trust levels differ sharply by political group, while U.S. adults overall are divided between trust and distrust. Survey answers show both news use and views of the outlet.
In March 2025, 38% of U.S. adults regularly got news from Fox News. That survey measure does not mean those adults watch every program or match a cable rating.
Regular news use
Regular use varied by political group. In March 2025, 57% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents regularly got news from Fox News, compared with 18% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.
“Regularly got news from” describes a person’s reported news habits. It does not say how often someone watches a particular show or which service they use.
Trust and distrust by political group
Among U.S. adults, 37% said they trusted Fox News and 42% said they distrusted it. Those figures show that trust and distrust were both common in the survey.
Republicans and Republican-leaning independents reported 56% trust and 21% distrust. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents reported 19% trust and 64% distrust.
| Group | Regularly got news from Fox News | Trusted Fox News | Distrusted Fox News |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults | 38% | 37% | 42% |
| Republicans and Republican-leaning independents | 57% | 56% | 21% |
| Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents | 18% | 19% | 64% |
Regular use and trust are separate measures. A person can get news from an outlet without saying they trust it, and the survey does not identify every program watched.
Keep the survey’s “regular news” measure separate from a claim about watching a specific show.
How Did Fox’s Modern Media Portfolio Take Shape?
Fox Corporation’s roots reach back through decades of newspaper, film, and television expansion under Rupert Murdoch. The company’s history grew across media types before today’s corporate structure formed.
Murdoch’s U.S. television expansion began in the 1980s. The milestones below show how newspaper interests grew into a wider network and news business.
Murdoch’s expansion into U.S. television
Rupert Murdoch inherited interests in the Adelaide newspaper The News in 1952. He later expanded into film and regional television stations in the United States.
A timeline highlights the main steps:
- 1952: Rupert Murdoch inherited interests in The News in Adelaide.
- 1985: He acquired Twentieth Century Fox and regional television stations.
- 1986: FOX Television Stations was created with 25 stations.
- 1986: Fox Broadcasting Company launched.
- October 1996: Fox News Channel debuted.
- 2007: News Corporation acquired Dow Jones, including The Wall Street Journal.
The network and news launches
Fox Broadcasting Company expanded the company’s presence in television. A historical profile of the Fox Broadcasting Co. launch notes its start in 1986.
Fox News Channel arrived in October 1996, adding a cable news service to the portfolio. Later, News Corporation’s 2007 purchase of Dow Jones brought The Wall Street Journal into its publishing holdings.
These milestones covered newspapers, film, local stations, broadcast television, cable news, and financial news. The businesses did not all remain under one modern company.
The portfolio grew across separate media types, which is why its present-day corporate structure includes more than a news channel.
Who Owns Fox Entertainment?
Fox Entertainment is owned by Fox Corporation as one of the parent company’s divisions. It sits within the larger corporation, rather than standing as a separate public company.
Fox Entertainment and Fox Corporation are not the same company. The division operates within the parent’s broader group of television and media businesses.
Fox Entertainment launched Fox Entertainment Studios in September 2022. The studio is part of the division’s entertainment work, while Fox Corporation owns the overall business.
The name can also lead to confusion with 20th Century Fox. Disney acquired 20th Century Fox assets in the 2019 transaction, while Fox Entertainment remained within Fox Corporation’s portfolio.
A familiar brand name does not always signal a shared owner. In this case, Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox belong to different corporate stories.
The shared Fox name does not make Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox the same business.
Is Fox News Affiliated With the Republican Party?
Fox News is not owned by or formally affiliated with the Republican Party; it operates under Fox Corporation. Its ownership is commercial, not a party committee structure.
Fox News is a media business, not a Republican Party committee. Audience patterns and editorial views do not establish formal party ownership.
Corporate ownership and party affiliation
Fox News Media operates within Fox Corporation. The Republican National Committee is the national committee of the Republican Party, a separate organization with a different purpose.
Formal affiliation would mean a stated institutional connection. A network’s audience, guests, or views do not by themselves create that connection.
Editorial orientation and audience perceptions
Fox News is generally regarded as more conservative in its U.S. news coverage. That description concerns editorial orientation, not legal ownership by a political party.
Viewers may judge the network’s coverage differently based on its reporting and commentary. Those perceptions can matter to audiences, but they do not change the company that owns the outlet.
Keeping these ideas separate avoids treating political views as corporate facts. A media company can have a perceived editorial slant without becoming a party organization.
Separate the question of editorial orientation from the factual question of who owns the outlet.
What Could Change Fox Corporation’s Ownership Next?
Fox Corporation’s proposed acquisition of Roku could change the parent company’s business and ownership structure, but shareholder approval alone does not mean the deal is complete. The transaction remains proposed until closing is confirmed.
Fox and Roku shareholders approved the merger on October 14, 2026, but that vote did not close it. Federal and state reviews were still reported in late October.
Three milestones describe the deal’s status:
- June 15, 2026: Fox announced a cash-and-stock deal valuing Roku at around $22 billion.
- October 14, 2026: Fox and Roku shareholders approved the merger.
- October 21 and 28, 2026: Federal approval was reported as potentially near, while several states, including New York, were reported to be examining the deal.
Shareholder approval is one step in a merger process. It does not by itself show that regulators have cleared the transaction or that the companies have completed it.
Those late-October reports described review activity, not a confirmed closing. The difference matters because a proposed acquisition can still face steps before it takes effect.
Shareholder approval and regulatory review do not, by themselves, establish that an acquisition has closed.
Treat the deal as a proposed transaction until a confirmed closing is announced.
Conclusion
Fox News belongs to Fox Corporation, while the Murdoch Family Trust’s voting power helps explain the family’s influence. Those are separate parts of the ownership structure, just as executive leadership is distinct from shareholder rights.
The parent company owns the outlet, and the trust’s votes shape its governance without proving that the trust owns every share. Lachlan Murdoch’s executive role is another part of the company’s leadership structure.
Readers tracking changes can review Fox Corporation’s public filings and proxy materials. The company’s SEC filing index lists its reports and governance documents.
Check Fox Corporation’s next proxy statement for any updates to voting rights or trust disclosures.
FAQ
Who is the majority owner of Fox News?
No single majority owner of Fox News is identified by the Murdoch Family Trust’s voting stake. The trust controls approximately 42% of Fox Corporation’s combined voting power, which is substantial but below half. Fox News operates within Fox Corporation, so the trust’s voting influence does not mean it owns every share or directly owns the outlet as a separate company.
Who is bigger, CNN or FOX?
Fox News had more viewers than CNN in both October 2026 cable-news measures. It averaged 1.7 million primetime viewers and 1.1 million total-day viewers, while CNN averaged 598,000 and 402,000. These figures compare the two networks in those dayparts, not all news audiences or people who use websites, radio, or other services.
Is Fox News affiliated with the Republican Party?
No, Fox News is not formally owned by or affiliated with the Republican Party. Fox News Media operates under Fox Corporation, a commercial media company. The Republican National Committee is the national committee of the Republican Party. Viewers may see Fox News as politically conservative, but editorial perceptions do not establish formal party ownership or affiliation.
Is Fox or CNN more Republican?
Fox News is generally regarded as more conservative in its U.S. news coverage than CNN. That describes how people often view the networks’ editorial orientation, not their formal ownership. Fox News is not a Republican Party operation, and CNN is not owned by the Democratic Party. Political labels should not be confused with corporate structure.
Is there a Democrat on Fox News?
Yes, Democrats appear as guests and commentators on Fox News. Their presence can include interviews, debates, and discussions with people who hold different political views. A guest’s party identity does not make the outlet a Democratic Party operation. Fox News remains part of Fox News Media under Fox Corporation, regardless of who appears on air.
What lady is leaving Fox News?
Maria Bartiromo was no longer with Fox News Media effective September 3, 2026. Her departure is a personnel update within the news division, not a change to Fox Corporation’s ownership. Fox News Media operates several services, including Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, so a staffing change does not mean the whole division has closed.
What percent of Democrats watch Fox News?
In March 2025, 18% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents regularly got news from Fox News. That figure measures reported regular news use, not whether someone watches every program or a particular show. The same survey measure was 57% among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, showing a clear difference between the groups.
