Musk on buying MSNBC: “How much does it cost?”

Published 24 November 2024 at 12.13

Media. Billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, is now expressing interest in buying the left-wing news channel MSNBC, Business Insider reports.

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MSNBC , a heavily left-leaning television channel that promotes the Democratic Party, has struggled with sharply declining ratings after Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the presidential election.

According to owner Comcast is considering selling MSNBC, which will be part of a new media company called SpinCo. This company also includes USA Network and CNBC. Comcast has described the change as a strategic restructuring, but internal sources report concerns among MSNBC employees, who are facing potential changes to its name, logo and headquarters.

Elon Musk responded to the speculation when Donald Trump Jr. on X shared a picture with the MSNBC logo and the text “Sold to the lowest bidder”. Musk jokingly replies: “How much does it cost?”

Recently published statistics show that MSNBC's ratings have dropped 38 percent since the election, while CNN has lost 27 percent. The decrease reflects increased challenges for left-leaning news outlets after the political power shift.

Pod profiler and Trump supporter Joe Rogan also offers a humorous comment. He offers to take MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow's place if Musk buys the channel, promising to “wear the same clothes, the same glasses and tell the same lies.” Musk replies curtly: “Deal.”

Elon Musk, whose fortune is estimated at $314 billion, bought Twitter (now X) for $44 billion in 2022. It's not yet clear what MSNBC might be worth as an individual asset, but Comcast as a whole has a market value of about 166 billion dollars.