“The O’Reilly Factor,” the most popular show on cable news, has turned from moneymaker to potential liability as companies have been pulling their ads in the wake of host Bill O’Reilly’s possible involvement in a number of sexual harassment claims. The New York Times on Saturday reported that Fox News and O’Reilly paid five women a total of $13 million to not pursue sexual harassment litigation against the host.
Following the New York Times investigation, 32 advertisers have so far withdrawn from the top-rated talk show.
Notable among the companies pulling ads are several car manufacturers, including BMW, Mercedes Benz, Hyundai, and Subaru. Personal finance site Credit Karma, drugmakers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline, pet food company Ainsworth, men’s shirt seller Untuckit, and online marketing firm Constant Contact are also among companies pulling advertising from the show.
Click here to see the 32 huge brands pulling ads from “The O’Reilly Factor.”
Last summer, company founder and CEO of 20 years Roger Ailes resigned in the face of a wave of sexual harassment allegations. Ailes’ resignation came barely a month after former anchor Gretchen Carlson came forward, claiming Ailes had threatened to fire her unless she agreed to have sex with him.
After Carlson filed suit, 25 additional current and former employees came forward. The group included Megyn Kelly, one of the Fox News’ most popular anchors, who left the network for NBC.
Ailes is widely regarded as the driving visionary force behind Fox’s current format and political tone that — even as it has garnered its share of criticism — has helped popularize the network. Ailes has recognized the value and impact of politically incendiary shows like “The O’Reilly Factor.” When the former Fox chief came under fire, O’Reilly came to Ailes’ defense.
Now, despite support from President Donald Trump, it appears the host may meet the same fate as his former boss.
It would be difficult to overstate the impact the potential loss of “The O’Reilly Factor” could have on the network. In the first quarter of this year, the show pulled in an average of 4 million nightly viewers, its highest viewership totals of all time, breaking the record for a network news program.
Ad spending data came from Advertising Age, an advertising industry observer. All spending figures are for 2015.
Source: ainsworthpets.com
1. Ainsworth Pet
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, LLC
> Industry: Pet food
[in-text-ad]
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/
2. Allstate
> Ad spending: $746.9 million
> Parent company: The Allstate Corporation
> Industry: Insurance
Source: twitter.com/amica
3. Amica Insurance
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Amica Mutual Insurance Company
> Industry: Insurance
Source: Wikimedia Commons
4. Ancestry
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Ancestry.com, LLC
> Industry: Internet
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Wikimedia Commons
5. Bayer
> Ad spending: $1.19 billion
> Parent company: Capital Group Companies
> Industry: Pharmaceuticals
Source: Courtesy of BMW
6. BMW
> Ad spending: $314.1 million
> Parent company: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
> Industry: Automotive
[in-text-ad]
Source: carfax.com
7. CarFax
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: IHS Markit
> Industry: Information
24/7 Wall St.
Source: coldwellbanker.com
8. Coldwell Banker
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC
> Industry: Real estate
Source: http://news.constantcontact.com/
9. Constant Contact
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Endurance International Group
> Industry: Marketing
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: twitter.com/creditkarma
10. Credit Karma
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Credit Karma
> Industry: Personal finance
Source: Eli Lilly and Company / Wikimedia Commons
11. Eli Lilly
> Ad spending: $721.6 million
> Parent company: Eli Lilly and Company
> Industry: Pharmaceuticals
[in-text-ad]
Source: Wikimedia Commons
12. Esurance
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Esurance Insurance Services, Inc
> Industry: Insurance
24/7 Wall St.
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/colalife/
13. GlaxoSmithKline
> Ad spending: $948.4 million
> Parent company: GlaxoSmithKline plc
> Industry: Pharmaceuticals
Source: Wikimedia Commons
14. H&R Block
> Ad spending: $275.4 million
> Parent company: H&R Block Group, Inc.
> Industry: Financial services
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: hyundaiusa.com
15. Hyundai
> Ad spending: $495.8 million
> Parent company: Hyundai Motor Company
> Industry: Automotive
Source: Wikimedia Commons
16. Invisalign
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Align Technology, Inc.
> Industry: Medical device
[in-text-ad]
Source: Jenny Craig / Wikimedia Commons
17. Jenny Craig
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: North Castle Partners
> Industry: Fitness
Source: legalzoom.com
18. LegalZoom
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: LegalZoom.com, Inc.
> Industry: Technology
Source: Courtesy of Lexus
19. Lexus
> Ad spending: $401.7 million
> Parent company: Toyota Motor Corporation
> Industry: Automotive
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: mbusa.com
20. Mercedes Benz
> Ad spending: $102.3 million
> Parent company: Daimler AG
> Industry: Automotive
Source: mitsubishicars.com
21. Mitsubishi
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
> Industry: Automotive
[in-text-ad]
Source: careers.orkin.com
22. Orkin
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Rollins Inc.
> Industry: Pest control
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of pacificlife.com
23. PacificLife
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Pacific Life Insurance Company
> Industry: Insurance
Source: Wikimedia Commons
24. Pfizer
> Ad spending: $1.93 billion
> Parent company: Pfizer Inc.
> Industry: Pharmaceuticals
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: sanofi.us
25. Sanofi
> Ad spending: $900.6 million
> Parent company: Sanofi
> Industry: Pharmaceuticals
Source: shrm.org
26. SHRM
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: The Society for Human Resource Management
> Industry: Human resources
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Subaru
27. Subaru
> Ad spending: $25.3 million
> Parent company: Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.
> Industry: Automotive
Source: corporate.troweprice.com
28. T.Rowe Price
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: T. Rowe Price Group
> Industry: Investment management
Source: touchnote.com
29. Touchnote
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: Touchnote
> Industry: Internet
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: truecar.com
30. True Car
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: TrueCar, Inc.
> Industry: Internet
Source: untuckit.com
31. Untuckit
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: UNTUCKit
> Industry: Apparel
[in-text-ad]
Source: logos.wikia.com
32. VisionWorks
> Ad spending: N/A
> Parent company: HVCV Inc.
> Industry: Eye care
Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor
Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
