At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Don Lemon Bets On X As CNN And TV Evolve Rapidly
- Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway dissect Don Lemon’s decision to launch a new show first on X, arguing he chose a risky, weak umbrella brand despite being a strong on‑air talent. They compare his move to alternative paths followed by Megyn Kelly and others who built independent, subscription-based or podcast-first empires with more control and better economics. The conversation broadens into a critique of X’s late, under-resourced pivot to video and Linda Yaccarino’s splashy talent deals strategy. They contrast that with Mark Thompson’s more deliberate, subscription- and product-focused vision for CNN’s digital and AI-driven future, integrated with platforms like Max rather than relying on external platforms.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasChoosing the right platform brand matters as much as the show itself.
Launching on X ties Don Lemon’s personal brand to a platform associated with controversy and erratic leadership, which Kara and Scott argue creates a negative halo compared with building on more established or neutral podcast and subscription platforms.
High-profile anchors can often earn more by owning their media products.
Megyn Kelly is cited as an example of someone who controls her distribution and monetization directly, illustrating that in today’s market, big names may do better by operating independently rather than signing traditional or platform-controlled deals.
Upfront money is essential when dealing with unstable or litigious platforms.
Kara stresses that Don Lemon should secure payment upfront given X’s track record of not paying severance and obligations to former employees, underscoring the need for strong financial protections in deals with volatile owners.
X is late and underpowered in the video race against entrenched competitors.
They argue YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and others already dominate online video with superior product, engineering, and capital, making X’s pivot to video look more like a reactive PR play than a credible, scalable strategy.
Splashy talent deals are no substitute for true digital-native programming strategy.
Linda Yaccarino’s recruitment of figures like Don Lemon and Tulsi Gabbard is framed as an old-school, CES-style approach that assumes big names drive success, ignoring that today’s breakout video stars (e.g., MrBeast) tend to be platform-native creators.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesTo kind of announce this, it's not just Don Lemon and what the topic is, it's Don Lemon and X, and X, in my view, is a bad umbrella brand.
— Scott Galloway
This is a media strategy by someone who doesn't know media, which would be Musk and Linda Yaccarino.
— Kara Swisher
CNN+ was directionally correct, but there was no CNN. It was like hamburger plus without hamburger.
— Kara Swisher
I would be the world's largest TV network and your distribution platform is the internet.
— Scott Galloway
We have to own it and not be subject to other people's platforms.
— Kara Swisher, paraphrasing Mark Thompson
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