Greg Gutfeld isn’t your typical Fox News personality. But he is turning in to something that is more traditional at the Fox Corp.-backed cable outlet.
Fox News is expected to announce that it recently closed a deal with Gutfeld to extend his contract, a move that spotlights the host’s importance to the network’s operations even if he isn’t in the mold of a Sean Hannity or Laura Ingraham. Under the pact, Gutfeld will continue his co-hosting duties at the roundtable show “The Five” as well as his 10 p.m. program, “Gutfeld!,” a looser take on the issues of the day that marks a bid by Fox News to woo the younger TV viewers who might watch late-night programs such as “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on CBS or “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. The third anniversary of the 10 p.m. program arrives Friday.
Gutfeld is also expected to host and produce occasional programming for the Fox Nation streaming service.
“Greg is a true original whose trademark political and cultural commentary, humor and gifted writing has deeply connected and grown with our audience for more than 17 years,” said Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News Media, in a statement. “Upon launching ‘Gutfeld!’ three years ago, he rapidly disrupted the status quo to become the most-watched host in the genre with more viewers tuning in to his show than any other late-night program on television. We are proud to be the home of Greg, his unparalleled analysis and late-night’s highest-rated program for many years to come.”
Fox News sees Gutfeld, who is represented by CAA, as an example of what it can do with home-grown talent. A former magazine editor who once caused an outrage by hiring people to be obnoxious during a trade conference, Gutfeld joined Fox News in 2007 to host an occasionally woolly program called “Red Eye” that aired at 2 in the morning. He would eventually make his way to “The Five,” where executives were impressed by the rapport he quickly established with co-host Dana Perino. The program has gone on to become the most-watched show at the network and in cable news.
Gutfeld also kept his hand in late-night, hosting a 10 p.m. program on Saturdays, then, in 2021, taking parts of that program to a regular 11 p.m. slot on weekdays.
“Since joining the network in 2007, Fox News has given me the freedom to be unabashedly myself and, in turn, deliver a distinct experience for our audience,:” says Gutfeld in a statement. “There aren’t many platforms that allow this type of creative independence and I’m proud to be a part of Suzanne’s team.”
Fox News wants people to compare “Gutfeld” to other late-night options, even if his program does not vie directly with them at 11 p.m., or 11:30 p.m. Humor and satire are seen as genres to which younger men gravitate, so having “Gutfeld” in the late-night consideration set would siphon viewers that may become critical to Fox News as older viewers leave the network’s orbit over time.
According to Nielsen, “Gutfeld!” draws a bigger audience than any of usual coterie of late-night programs and also wins more viewers between the ages of 18 and 49 than “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and the Monday broadcast of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” which is led by Jon Stewart. Since its launch in 2021, Gutfeld has increased his overall audience by 47% and viewers between 18 and 49 by 10%.
He holds his humor to a certain standard. “Is this a cheap shot? Is it necessary? And is it surprising, is it different?” he asked Variety in 2021. “That’s the driving force.”
