Piers Morgan has confirmed a decision to depart from News Corp’s TalkTV, thus ending the broadcast of Piers Morgan Uncensored on Sky News Australia.
His exit comes after two years of embarrassingly low TV ratings for the show broadcast on News Corp owned news channels in the UK, US and Australia.
The prominent British broadcaster is shifting his focus towards his YouTube channel, citing a preference for a more flexible format that aligns with the global audience’s viewing habits.
Morgan described the commitment to a nightly show on the Murdoch-owned channel as an “unnecessary straitjacket,” pointing out that the program’s structured format and fixed timing do not meet the evolving demands of viewers worldwide. He remarked,
“It’s clear there’s a huge global demand for the content we’re making … but people are watching on YouTube rather than conventional television and I have no problem with that.“
The departure also means the loss of Morgan’s digital content for Sky News, which has reportedly amassed over 150 million views across its online platforms.
Morgan’s YouTube channel, which shares the show’s name, boasts 2.35 million subscribers and regularly garners significant viewership, with videos and interviews attracting hundreds of thousands to millions of views. This contrasts with the Australian broadcast of the show, which has struggled to capture a significant audience despite its prime time slot of 11 pm from Tuesday to Friday.
Following Morgan’s departure, Sky News Australia has announced the expansion of The Rita Panahi Show, which will now air from Monday to Thursday at 11 pm AEDT, filling the slot vacated by Piers Morgan Uncensored.
Confirming the decision Sky News Australia praised Morgan’s show for generating strong online viewership, stating it has consistently ranked within the top five programs for digital viewership across Sky News Australia’s digital network.
Since its inception in April 2022, TalkTV has featured Morgan as its leading figure, thanks to a three-year deal reportedly worth £50 million ($89 million). His show has been syndicated across Sky and other outlets, aiming to bolster the channel’s profile.
SOURCE: SMH
