The Plot Thickens: Fox News And The White House Offer Competing Versions Of Super Bowl Interview Implosion
The White House said Friday that Fox Corporation canceled a planned interview with President Joe Biden ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl.
The pre-game interview, a tradition for presidents and the networks hosting the Super Bowl since the George W. Bush administration, was set to be held with digital news outlet Fox Soul, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Fox Soul is a streaming service aimed at Black audiences launched by Fox Corporation in 2020.
“The President was looking forward to an interview with Fox Soul to discuss the Super Bowl, the State of the Union, and critical issues impacting the everyday lives of Black Americans,” Jean-Pierre wrote on Twitter. “We’ve been informed that Fox Corp has asked for the interview to be cancelled.”
The President was looking forward to an interview with Fox Soul to discuss the Super Bowl, the State of the Union, and critical issues impacting the everyday lives of Black Americans. We’ve been informed that Fox Corp has asked for the interview to be cancelled.
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) February 10, 2023
Fox, which is owned by Fox News parent Fox Corporation, is hosting this year’s game.
It’s unclear why Fox would have agreed to an interview between Biden and Fox Soul, a streaming service with an audience a fraction of the size of Fox News, which typically handles Super Bowl interviews for Fox. As CNN reporter Oliver Darcy noted on Twitter, the White House could be using Fox Soul as an excuse to bail on the Fox News interview.
That said, a White House official told Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher that an interview was “locked” with Fox Soul hosts Mike Hill and Vivica Fox, but that Fox Corporation canceled it.
“The Biden team has been has always clear that reaching diverse audiences in innovative ways is a cornerstone of the President’s media strategy,” the official said. “They had locked an interview with Mike Hill and Vivica Fox to air on Fox Soul Sunday. This interview could have been shared across Fox platforms, but Fox Corp canceled.”
Variety reported on Friday that Fox News had sought an interview with Biden, but that the president would not be conducting any pre-game interview.
A Fox News executive offered a competing version of the negotiations between the White House and the media company in comments to Variety: “We offered an interview with our top news anchors with no strings attached — they’re walking away from a huge audience and it’s a major missed opportunity.”
Fox Corporation and Fox Soul did not respond to requests for comment.
UPDATE: A Fox Corporation spokesperson told Mediaite the interview is now ON, with Fox Soul hosting.
“After the White House reached out to FOX Soul Thursday evening, there was some initial confusion. FOX Soul looks forward to interviewing the President for Super Bowl Sunday,” the spokesperson said.
UPDATE II: Politico reported on Friday night the interview now “appears off”:
“Per a WH official, they arranged an interview w/ Mike Hill & Vivica A. Fox & Biden ahead of the Super Bowl and Fox Corp cancelled. ‘FOX has since put out a statement indicating the interview was rescheduled, which is inaccurate.'”
