 | |
| Type | Conservative opinion and commentary network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | The First Digital, Inc. |
| History | |
| Launched | October 2019 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
The First, also calledThe First TV and stylized asThe F1rst, is a conservative opinion and commentary network in theUnited States started in October 2019. It has five hosts, includingBill O'Reilly.
The First was launched in October 2019 onPluto TV, a streaming platform owned byParamount Global.[1] It was started in partnership with Red Seat Ventures.[2] It offers about 45 hours of original programming a week.[3] In January 2023, The First was added toDirecTV, after it concurrently droppedNewsmax TV due to demands for carriage fees.[4]
The First launched with two hosts in October 2019, combat veteranJesse Kelly[5][6] and former CIA analystBuck Sexton.[7] In January 2020, the network added California-based talk radio host Mike Slater[8] andDana Loesch.[9][10] On June 1, 2020, the network announced thatBill O'Reilly was joining the network with his showNo Spin News.[11][12] He began the online show in 2017 after being fired fromFox News Channel, in the wake ofThe New York Times publishing details of six sexual misconduct lawsuits O'Reilly had settled.[3][13][14] FormerOANN host,CPAC speaker, and conservative podcasterLiz Wheeler was added to the network in January 2023.[15]Josh Hammer hostsAmerica on Trial with Josh Hammer, a legal podcast primarily focused on the2024 United States presidential election.[16][17][18]Mike Baker hosts a podcast calledThe President's Daily Brief.[19]
Tyler Hersko ofIndieWire criticized ViacomCBS for their involvement in O'Reilly's show, commenting that its Pluto TV debut coincided with the date that its entertainment and youth channels were made unavailable foreight minutes 46 seconds in solidarity withBlack Lives Matter. Hersko found this hypocritical in light of comments made by O'Reilly about African-Americans.[2] A petition by ViacomCBS employees urged the company to remove The First for similar reasons.[1]
