Who Owns a Piece of Tiktok? Inside Fox Corp’s Surprise Bid and the Murdochs' Power Play
Linear television audiences are shrinking, and Fox Corp’s executives know cable bundle fees can no longer sustain long-term growth. The Murdoch empire shed its 20th Century Fox entertainment film studios to Disney in 2019, choosing to double down on live news, sports, and ad-supported streaming through Tubi. While Tubi found commercial success by gathering over 80 million monthly active users, Fox still lacked a native social engine.
Owning a minority piece of TikTok gives Fox direct access to consumer culture’s primary discovery surface. The recruitment of high-profile executives from TikTok and Moonbug demonstrates that the Murdochs do not view this as a silent financial holding. By placing seasoned short-form specialists inside Fox’s production ranks, the company intends to develop digital-first intellectual property, recruit independent video makers, and direct social audiences toward its advertising-supported streaming assets.