New X Deal Could Mean a Lot More Tucker Carlson Content Ahead

X CEO Linda Yaccarino made courting ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson one of her first orders of business at the social media company formerly known as Twitter after being hired by Elon Musk earlier this year. Now she has a deal to show for it, according to a new report from the Washington Post.

Per the report:

On June 26, Yaccarino, Musk’s handpicked CEO, eagerly welcomed Justin Wells, longtime executive producer for Carlson’s show on Fox News, to talk about a potential partnership, a person familiar with the meeting said.

It was Yaccarino’s first day in the company’s New York offices — her office was festooned with “Welcome Linda” balloons — and she was trying to strike a deal. Forced from his slot as Fox News’s top-rated prime-time host, Carlson had been posting short videos to Twitter for weeks. But Yaccarino wanted to formalize the relationship and share advertising revenue. A Republican who hailed from NBC News, she aimed to recruit top television talent to X — part of an effort to make the platform more like YouTube or TikTok: a hub for original video content.

The Post went on to reveal that Carlson and X reached an agreement earlier this month, which reporter Sarah Ellison speculated would mean that “lots more Tucker content” produced by Carlson will be appearing on the platform in the future.

Linda Yaccarino’s first day in X’s NYC offices, she sat down with Tucker Carlson’s longtime producer. They just signed a deal that is likely to result in lots more Tucker content here. W/ ⁦@WillOremus⁩ ⁦@lizzadwoskin⁩ ⁦@jeremybmerrill⁩ https://t.co/VmstGJRfT7

— Sarah Ellison (@sarahellison) October 27, 2023

Still, the “broader strategy” has yet to pay dividends, according to the newspaper.

Overall activity has declined significantly since Musk bought the company about a year ago, as the number of active tweeters has dropped by over 30%. Traffic-measuring tools suggest that overall activity on the site, including from advertisers, has also plummeted.

The paper attributed the decline in usership to a partisan takeover of the platform exacerbated by the revenue-sharing program and Twitter Blue, the subscription-based service that amplifies the tweets of those who pay a monthly fee to the company and that replaced its old method of verifying notable users in government, entertainment, and journalism.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo told the Post the Musk had “shifted the balance of power.”

“Previously it tilted the playing field to the left, and now I think it’s a pretty even split. On a relative basis, this is a huge advantage for the right,” added Rufo.