History of Fox Business in Timeline

Fox Business Network (FBN), owned by Fox Corporation, is an American business news channel that launched on October 15, 2007. Broadcasting from New York City, FBN provides trading day coverage and evening opinion-based talk shows. It operates as part of the Fox News Media division.

February 8, 2007: Rupert Murdoch Announces Launch of Fox Business

On February 8, 2007, News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch confirmed the launch of Fox Business Network at the McGraw-Hill Media Summit. Murdoch mentioned the possibility of renaming the channel with "Journal" in its name if News Corporation's purchase of The Wall Street Journal was successful.

July 11, 2007: Fox Business Network Name Announcement

On July 11, 2007, News Corporation announced that the new channel would be named Fox Business Network (FBN). The name Fox Business Network was chosen over Fox Business Channel, due to the abbreviation of "FBC" for the co-owned broadcast network Fox Broadcasting Company.

October 15, 2007: Fox Business Network Launch

On October 15, 2007, Fox Business Network (FBN) officially launched as an American business news channel and website owned by Fox News Media. The channel primarily broadcasts from studios in Midtown Manhattan, featuring trading day coverage and opinion-based talk shows.

October 18, 2007: Liz Claman Joins FBN

On October 18, 2007, Liz Claman, formerly of CNBC, joined Fox Business Network as co-anchor of the 2-3 p.m. portion of the dayside business news block with David Asman. Her first assignment was an interview with Warren Buffett.

November 2007: Negotiations with Imus Fall Through

In November 2007, negotiations between Fox Business Network and Don Imus to bring his show to the network fell through, and Imus instead signed with RFD-TV.

January 4, 2008: Low Viewership Numbers Reported

On January 4, 2008, it was reported that Fox Business Network (FBN) had registered an average of 6,300 viewers, which was below Nielsen's threshold. The low viewership was attributed to the network's young age and limited distribution compared to CNBC.

January 2008: Sky News Business Channel simulcasts Fox Business Network

In January 2008, Sky News Business Channel began simulcasting Fox Business Network during overnight hours.

April 2008: Brian Sullivan Joins FBN

In April 2008, Brian Sullivan joined Fox Business Network from Bloomberg Television. Sullivan anchored the 10 a.m.-12 p.m. portion of the business news block with Dagen McDowell.

May 12, 2008: Daytime Lineup Revamp and New Programs

On May 12, 2008, Fox Business Network revamped its daytime lineup, debuting two new programs: Countdown to the Closing Bell and Fox Business Bulls & Bears.

July 2008: Nielsen Estimates Viewership

In July 2008, Nielsen estimated that Fox Business Network (FBN) averaged 8,000 viewers per daytime hour and 20,000 per prime time hour, compared to CNBC's 284,000 and 191,000, respectively. The estimates were not statistically significant due to FBN's low viewership.

2008: Anheuser-Busch and Merrill Lynch acquired

In 2008, Anheuser-Busch and Merrill Lynch were acquired by other companies. They were replaced by Wells Fargo and HP.

2008: Low Ratings Compared to CNBC

In the fall of 2008, Fox Business Network's ratings were significantly lower than CNBC's, by a margin of over 10 to 1.

February 2, 2009: FBN Added to Dish Network

On February 2, 2009, Dish Network began carrying Fox Business Network (FBN) on channel 206. The network also received carriage on DirecTV channel 359.

April 20, 2009: Shows Move to New Studio G Set

On April 20, 2009, Money for Breakfast, The Opening Bell on Fox Business, The Noon Show with Tom Sullivan and Cheryl Casone, Countdown to the Closing Bell, Fox Business Bulls & Bears, and Cavuto all moved to Fox Business Network's new Studio G set. All six shows shared the same set in Studio G, unveiled on Money for Breakfast that day.

June 2009: Low Viewership Numbers

In June 2009, Fox Business Network (FBN) averaged 21,000 viewers between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m., below Nielsen's threshold and less than 10% of CNBC's viewership for the same period. At the time, FBN was available in about 49 million U.S. homes.

September 2009: Agreement Reached to Air Imus in the Morning

In September 2009, Don Imus and Fox Business Network reached an agreement to carry his show, Imus in the Morning, on the channel.

October 5, 2009: Imus in the Morning Debuts on FBN

On October 5, 2009, Imus in the Morning began airing on Fox Business Network.

December 23, 2009: Alexis Glick Leaves FBN

On December 23, 2009, Alexis Glick left Fox Business Network, announcing that that day's episode of The Opening Bell would be her last. Glick stated she was leaving to "embark on a new venture".

June 2010: Dave Ramsey's Show Ends

In June 2010, Dave Ramsey's one-hour prime time show on Fox Business Network ended. The show was similar in format to his syndicated radio show.

November 10, 2010: Lou Dobbs Joins FBN

On November 10, 2010, Fox Business Network announced that former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs would join the channel.

March 2011: CBS Corporation, Charles Schwab Corporation, Lowe's, Sprint Nextel, and Yahoo! removed from index

In March 2011, CBS Corporation, Charles Schwab Corporation, Lowe's, Sprint Nextel, and Yahoo! were removed from the index, and replaced by DuPont, Ford, JPMorgan, Pfizer, and UnitedHealth Group.

July 2011: Fox Business carried on Sky Italia

In July 2011, Fox Business channel was carried on Sky Italia.

September 17, 2012: Fox Business Network switches to 16:9 letterboxed format

On September 17, 2012, Fox Business Network switched to a 16:9 letterboxed format, ending the enhanced HD format. The enhanced ticker and headlines were moved to the lower-third of the screen.

2012: Lou Dobbs Tonight Challenges CNBC's Larry Kudlow

In 2012, Lou Dobbs Tonight on Fox Business Network garnered 141,000 total viewers, challenging CNBC's Larry Kudlow.

February 24, 2014: Maria Bartiromo Joins FBN

On February 24, 2014, Maria Bartiromo, formerly of CNBC, moved to Fox Business Network. She began hosting Opening Bell with Maria Bartiromo and became a Fox News contributor.

October 13, 2014: CNBC HD discontinues enhanced HD format

Competitor channel CNBC HD discontinued enhanced HD format on October 13, 2014.

April 2015: Imus in the Morning Simulcast to End

In April 2015, it was reported that Fox Business Network would drop the Imus in the Morning simulcast due to Imus's plan to move from New York City to Texas.

November 10, 2015: First Republican Presidential Primary Debate

On November 10, 2015, Fox Business Network, along with The Wall Street Journal, hosted its first Republican presidential primary debate. It achieved a record 13.5 million viewers and 1.4 million concurrent streams, surpassing the 2015 Super Bowl's streaming numbers.

2015: CNBC Changes Audience Measurement

In 2015, CNBC announced that it would no longer rely on Nielsen ratings to measure its daytime audience, opting for rival Cogent Reports instead.

2015: Fox Business HD broadcast in Israel

In 2015, Fox Business HD was first broadcast in Israel by cable provider Hot, and it is also carried by Cellcom TV and Partner TV.

January 14, 2016: Second Republican Primary Debate

On January 14, 2016, Fox Business Network hosted its second Republican primary debate in Charleston, South Carolina, with Neil Cavuto and Maria Bartiromo as moderators. The primetime debates included earlier debates featuring presidential candidates not highly ranked in national polls or based in Iowa or New Hampshire.

December 2016: News Corp Australia acquires Australian broadcaster

In December 2016, News Corp Australia acquired the Australian broadcaster in its entirety.

2016: Carly Fiorina as Contributor

In 2016, Carly Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO and a 2016 presidential candidate, was a contributor to Fox Business Network.

2016: Strongest Ratings in History

In 2016, Fox Business Network experienced its strongest ratings in its history during the first quarter, with day programming up 111 percent in total viewers and 130 percent in the key age 25 to 54 demographic compared to the previous year.

January 20, 2017: Nigel Farage Announced as Commentator

On January 20, 2017, former UK Independence Party head Nigel Farage was announced as a commentator for both Fox Business and Fox News, providing political analysis. This announcement coincided with Donald Trump's presidential inauguration.

August 2017: FBN Surpasses CNBC in Ratings

As of August 2017, Fox Business Network had surpassed CNBC's ratings for nine consecutive months, with Lou Dobbs Tonight becoming the most-watched program in business news.

November 2017: Controversial Decision to Move Pac-12 Game

In November 2017, there was a controversial decision to move the first quarter of a Pac-12 football game between Washington and Stanford from FS1 to FS2 due to a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series overrun.

December 14, 2017: 21st Century Fox Announces Asset Sale to Disney

On December 14, 2017, 21st Century Fox announced it would sell a majority of its assets to The Walt Disney Company for over $52 billion. Fox Business Network was excluded from the deal and spun off to the downsized Fox Corporation.

2017: Brenda Buttner's Death

In 2017, Brenda Buttner, an anchor on Fox Business Network, passed away. She was part of the FBN roster and also appeared on Fox News Channel.

May 1, 2018: Fox Business Network removed from Spectrum

In 2018, Fox Business Network was removed from the Spectrum cable network on May 1, 2018.

May 10, 2018: Fox Business Network returns to Spectrum

On May 10, 2018, Fox Business Network returned to Spectrum.

May 2018: Preference for FBN as Overflow Channel

It was reported in May 2018 that Fox would prefer using Fox Business Network (FBN) for future Pac-12 overflow situations due to its wider distribution compared to FS2.

July 27, 2018: Disney and Fox Shareholders Approve Asset Sale

On July 27, 2018, Disney and Fox shareholders approved the sale of 21st Century Fox assets to The Walt Disney Company.

October 2018: Sky News Business Channel relaunched as Your Money

In October 2018, Sky News Business Channel relaunched as Your Money.

March 19, 2019: Completion of Disney-Fox Asset Sale

On March 19, 2019, The Walt Disney Company completed its acquisition of a majority of 21st Century Fox's assets. Fox Business Network was not included in the deal and remained with the spun-off Fox Corporation.

May 2019: Sky News Business Channel closed down

In May 2019, Sky News Business Channel closed down.

September 29, 2019: New Slogan and Graphics Unveiled

On September 29, 2019, Fox Business Network introduced a new slogan, "Investing in You", along with updated on-air graphics and digital platforms. The channel also announced the new Friday-night program Barron's Roundtable.

March 27, 2020: Trish Regan Departs the Network

On March 27, 2020, Trish Regan departed Fox Business Network, amid criticism of a segment on the March 9 episode of Trish Regan Primetime, where she accused Democrats of exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to blame President Donald Trump and launch impeachment hearings.

November 2020: Fox Business anchors promote conspiracy theories about Smartmatic

In November 2020, Fox Business anchors Maria Bartiromo and Lou Dobbs promoted conspiracy theories tying voting machine manufacturer Smartmatic to voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. This included claims it had ties to Dominion Voting Systems and Venezuela.

December 2020: Smartmatic requests retraction of coverage by Fox Business

In December 2020, Smartmatic requested a retraction of coverage by Fox Business, Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network, stating that it was "false and defamatory". To comply with the request, programs of Fox Business anchors Maria Bartiromo and Lou Dobbs, as well as that of Fox News anchor Jeanine Pirro, aired a pre-recorded interview with Edward Perez, an election technology expert at the Open Source Election Technology Institute, which fact-checked various election fraud claims.

December 23, 2020: Mornings with Maria airs interview with fake Smithfield Foods CEO

On December 23, 2020, Mornings with Maria aired an interview with a person claiming to be Smithfield Foods CEO Dennis Organ, but was actually an animal rights activist from Direct Action Everywhere who warned that the meat packing industry could "effectively [bring] on the next pandemic".

February 4, 2021: Smartmatic files lawsuit against Fox News Media

On February 4, 2021, Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News Media for defamation, specifically naming Bartiromo, Dobbs, and Pirro.

2025: Scheduled Sports Programming

In 2025, Fox Business Network began airing occasional scheduled sports programming. That year, the network aired a MotoGP race (the Grand Prix of Argentina), second-round coverage of a LIV Golf League event in Virginia, and horse racing from Saratoga Race Course on Labor Day weekend.