Fox News Media has become the first broadcaster to announce a plan to simulcast the CBS News vice presidential debate when it airs next month.
The debate, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 1, will pit Republican Party nominee Senator J. D. Vance and Democratic Party nominee Governor Tim Walz in their only scheduled television debate of the 2024 presidential race.
As was the case with the two presidential debates hosted by CNN and ABC News earlier this year, CBS is offering other broadcasters the opportunity to simulcast its television debate. The simulcast rules will be revealed in the coming days, but are expected to be substantially similar to the guidelines offered by CNN and ABC.
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On Tuesday, Fox News Media said it intends to simulcast the CBS News vice presidential debate across its cable news networks, including the flagship channel Fox News. Coverage will also air on the Fox Business Network and stream on Fox News Digital and the subscription-based Fox Nation service, and an audio simulcast will be made available through Fox News Audio to radio stations across the country.
On the Fox News Channel, pre-debate coverage will start around 8:20 p.m. Eastern Time, the network said, hosted by Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier, “The Story” anchor Martha MacCallum and “Jesse Watters Primetime” host Jesse Watters.
Other Fox News personalities and journalists will join the three co-hosts during pre-debate coverage, including “The Ingraham Angle” host Laura Ingraham and “Hannity” host Sean Hannity, who will report from the press holding room known within the industry as “Spin Alley.”
The Fox News Media properties will simulcast the CBS News debate starting at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, with the debate scheduled for two hours.
Shannon Bream will serve as the anchor for a version of the simulcast that will be offered to Fox broadcast stations and affiliates, which will have the opportunity to begin simulcasting the debate at the same time as the cable networks.
Following the debate, Hannity will host a special version of his program, scheduled to start at 11 p.m. Eastern Times. Trace Gallagher will host a special version of “Fox News @ Night” one hour later. The network will air repeat programming for four hours, then kick off an early edition of its flagship morning show, called “Fox & Friends First,” at 4 a.m. Eastern Time. “Fox & Friends” will follow from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Eastern Time.
Fox News Digital will stream the CBS News debate from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., and will offer pre-debate coverage from the Fox network a half-hour before the debate starts. A version of the stream will also be made available through the Fox News app for phones and tablets. Fox Nation will offer pre- and post-debate coverage helmed by “Fox & Friends Weekend” host Pete Hegseth, OutKick founder Clay Travis, OutKick contributor Tomi Lahren and former U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.
Fox News Audio will offer pre-debate coverage from 8 p.m. to 8:55 p.m. Eastern Time, hosted by Jared Halpern and Jessica Rosenthal, before tossing to the Fox simulcast of the feed.
CBS will also offer the debate for free through its digital streaming network CBS News 24/7, with streams also available on Pluto TV and Paramount Plus.
Fox News Media is a subsidiary of Fox Corporation. CBS is owned by Paramount Global.
