Piers Morgan's Uncensored Nears $100m Valuation After Stake Sale
Piers Morgan's digital media venture, Uncensored, is undergoing a fundraising round targeting around $30 million, which values the business at approximately $130 million pre-money (around £97 million). Key backers include The Raine Group and Theo Kyriakou, with Michael Kassan advising on advertising and potentially investing personally. Family offices are reportedly in talks, and Joe Ravitch is set to join the Uncensored board.
The strategic goal is to transform Uncensored from its origins as a YouTube channel into a standalone global digital media group. This expansion will include various verticals such as history, sport, and technology, along with the recruitment of a new CEO.
Morgan had separated from News UK earlier this year but retained control of the Uncensored YouTube channel, which currently has 4.3 million subscribers. The audience is roughly half American, with substantial followings in the Middle East, South Africa, and parts of Asia, while British viewers make up a smaller portion. Morgan's high-profile interviews with figures like Cristiano Ronaldo and Novak Djokovic, along with access to Donald Trump, are credited with driving audience growth and enhancing expansion potential.
Uncensored benefits from a four-year revenue-sharing agreement with News UK running through 2029. The fundraising and growth of Uncensored come amid broader industry trends featuring significant media deal activity such as the Netflix-Warner Bros transaction and ongoing UK media consolidation discussions involving Sky-ITV and the Reach valuation at around £176 million. These developments underscore larger shifts towards disintermediation in the media landscape.
