The year 2023 was a year full of ups and downs for the media industry, with innovations, shakeups, scandals, and breakthroughs forever changing the way Americans consume content.
As the 2024 election draws closer, the dynamics of politics are shifting. Where once-establishment candidates competed for time in the spotlight on mainstream networks, alternative media sources are now becoming the power players. Some are even predicting that 2024 will mark the end of the mainstream monopoly on election coverage — and anti-establishment folks in both media and politics couldn’t be happier.
Meanwhile, on the cultural front, streaming and online content are continuing to threaten established broadcast media, forcing those who wish to stay competitive to either adapt or be left behind.
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In honor of these movers and shakers in this industry, Valuetainment’s panel of experts sat down to rank the 50 most influential media figures of 2023.
From AI innovators and podcasting rebels to social media influencers and powerhouse networks, this list covers it all.
50. Chris Cuomo
Power: 2.25 | Reach: 3 | Influence: 2 | Intangibles: 1
After losing his job at CNN in 2021, news anchor Chris Cuomo quickly rebounded in a new role at NewsNation, where he quickly became one of the fledgling network’s top personalities. His podcast The Chris Cuomo Project also took off in 2023, helping to further bolster his ratings. Cuomo appeared on the PBD Podcast twice in the last year, producing viral moments both times.
49. Charlie Kirk
Power: 3.20| Reach: 3 | Influence: 3 | Intangibles: 4
Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative activist group Turning Point USA, is leading the next generation of the American right wing, often butting heads with the liberal media and the establishment Republican Party. In addition to appearing on the PBD Podcast this year, Kirk also hosted the star-studded TPUSA AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
48. Joe Scarborough
Power: 3.25| Reach: 4 | Influence: 3 | Intangibles: 2
Former Florida Congressman Joe Scarborough, along with his wife and co-host Mika Brzezinski, has led one of MSNBC’s few resoundingly successful shows, expanding Morning Joe’s timeslot in an era when most network shows are facing cancelation. In 2023, Morning Joe remained the most-watched cable news show in many of the country’s largest cities.
47. Bob Pittman
Power: 3.25 | Reach: 4 | Influence: 3 | Intangibles: 2
Bob Pittman, who previously co-founded MTV, has served as CEO of iHeart Media since 2011. With 884 active podcasts available through the platform, iHeart Media offers a larger content library than any other platform. As alternative media becomes a bigger player in politics and culture, platforms like the one Pittman has built will become increasingly important.
46. Steven Crowder
Power: 3.25 | Reach: 4 | Influence: 3 | Intangibles: 2
Best known for his “Change My Mind” segments, Louder with Crowder host Steven Crowder has become one of the most vocal and controversial figures in alternative right-wing media. After a brief pause at the beginning of the year following the end of his contract with Blaze Media, Crowder relaunched on Rumble, where he has 1.5 million subscribers. In 2023, he also broke a story about the Covenant School shooter’s manifesto.
45. Candace Owens
Power: 3.60 | Reach: 4 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 2
After building a reputation for herself as a fearlessly outspoken conservative commentator, Candace Owens joined the talent pool at the Daily Wire in 2021, where she hosts her own show. In 2023, Owens covered issues including COVID vaccine skepticism and the Israel-Hamas war, the latter of which drew extensive criticism after she accused Israel of genocide in Palestine. Owens also appeared on the PBD Podcast in September.
44. Chris Pavlovski
Power: 3.60 | Reach: 4 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 2
As the debate over free speech and censorship on Big Tech platforms rages, Rumble has emerged as a speech-friendly alternative to YouTube. CEO Chris Pavlovski, who created the platform to escape Google’s manipulative algorithm, now provides the exclusive streaming home for multiple influential conservative figures.
43. Jake Tapper
Power: 3.60 | Reach: 4 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 2
A longtime host for CNN, Jake Tapper has become one of the network’s go-to sources in the last few years. In 2023, Tapper provided hours-long coverage of major news events like the chaos surrounding the Speaker of the House. Tapper was also involved in the ousting of CNN CEO Chris Licht.
42. Seth Dillon
Power: 3.75 | Reach: 4 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 1
Seth Dillon, CEO of the conservative Christian satire website The Babylon Bee, has emerged as a go-to source for “fake news you can trust”– much to the displeasure of mainstream fact-checkers. The Babylon Bee has come to rival mainstream satire sites like The Onion, and the publication being banned from Twitter in 2022 is believed to have played a role in Elon Musk’s decision to buy the social media site.
41. Young Turks
Power: 3.75 | Reach: 4 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 1
Co-hosted by commentators Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian, The Young Turks is the longest-running online news show to date, providing progressive commentary on news and social issues. In the latter part of 2023, TYT’s coverage focused heavily on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Also of note was Uygur’s announcement of a presidential campaign despite not being constitutionally eligible to hold the office.
40. Steve Bannon
Power: 3.85 | Reach: 3 | Influence: 6 | Intangibles: 2
A one-time advisor and strategist for Donald Trump, former Breitbart executive Steve Bannon has battled political opponents and legal challenges for nearly two years — even while hosting a popular show for Real America’s Voice. Bannon’s War Room boasts a booming audience, and its host also appeared in an interview with Tucker Carlson to discuss riots in Ireland.
39. Megyn Kelly
Power: 4.20 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 1
After a successful career at Fox News and a brief stint at NBC, Megyn Kelly now hosts one of SiriusXM’s top ranked new shows. Most recently, Kelly was also invited to co-moderate the fourth Republican primary debate alongside hosts from NewsNation and the Washington Free Beacon.
38. Piers Morgan
Power: 4.25 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 3
After parting ways with British network Ofcom in 2021, Piers Morgan secured a position with TalkTV in 2022. Uncensored with Piers Morgan exploded in popularity in 2023, allowing Morgan to sit down with guests ranging from Donald Trump to Cristiano Ronaldo, and also gave him a platform for hosting intense debates over world issues. Episodes of Morgan’s show have racked up tens of millions of views, and his YouTube channel has grown by 30 percent in just two months.
37. Daniel Ek
Power: 4.25 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 3
Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek has been called the most powerful man in the music industry for his creation of his massively successful music streaming service. Through this position, Ek has given platforms to controversial figures like Joe Rogan, who might have otherwise been canceled by Big Tech sites.
36. Lex Fridman
Power: 4.30 | Reach: 6 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 1
Exploding onto the scene seemingly from nowhere, computer scientist Lex Fridman has hosted interviews with dozens of high-profile businessmen and politicians on his eponymous podcast, which boasts over 3.5 million subscribers. His notable guests in 2023 included Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
35. Bill Maher
Power: 4.30 | Reach: 6 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 1
During his long career in media, the host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher has never shied away from political controversy. In 2023, Maher’s commentary focused heavily on transgenderism and the conflict between Israel and Hamas, breaking down the issues for a bipartisan audience.
34. Dan Bongino
Power: 4.40 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 2
Political commentator Dan Bongino, a veteran NYPD officer and Secret Service agent, has become a mainstay of mainstream conservative media. In 2023, Bongino parted ways with Fox News after two years as a host with the network.
33. Tim Pool
Power: 4.40 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 2
Timcast host Tim Pool has risen to become one of the most popular voices in the alternative media space, amassing millions of subscribers in the process. In 2023, some of Pool’s standout moments included a live podcast from Miami featuring a panel that included Rep. Matt Gaetz and Patrick Bet-David, as well as several appearances on the PBD Podcast.
32. Charlamagne tha God
Power: 4.40 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 2
As co-host of the wildly popular Breakfast Club radio show, Charlamagne tha God reaches an audience of millions every morning on his nationally syndicated broadcast. That audience continued to grow in 2023, allowing Charlamagne to host high-profile interviews with political figures like Tennessee Rep. Nancy Mace and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
31. Greg Gutfeld
Power: 4.40 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 2
Few expected that Fox News’ venture into the world of late-night talk shows would be successful, but Greg Gutfeld quickly surpassed all expectations — and also the ratings of other late-night competitors. “Gutfeld!” is now among Fox’s most-watched programs, and following the firing of Tucker Carlson earlier this year, the show increased its viewership further in an earlier time slot.
30. Stephen A. Smith
Power: 4.40 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 2
Stephen A. Smith, host and executive producer of ESPN’s First Take, remains one of the most popular sports commentators in the business. In 2023, “First Take” continued to be the country’s most-watched sports show, and the addition of former NFL player Shannon Sharpe as a co-host only boosted its ratings.
29. Nelk Boys
Power: 4.45 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 4
Known for their prank videos, their star-studded interviews and hard seltzer sales, these Canadian YouTubers have come to be known as some of the most recognizable influencers in North America. In 2023, the Full Send Podcast’s growing lineup of high-profile guests included presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, UFC President Dana White, former president Donald Trump, and Patrick Bet-David.
28. Pat McAfee
Power: 4.50 | Reach: 6 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 2
Sports analyst and former NFL punter Pat McAfee made an unexpected switch from FanDuel to ESPN earlier this year, and quickly became the network’s highest-paid talent. McAfee is now a frequent contributor on other ESPN shows as well, delivering unfiltered commentary on sports and culture.
27. Ben Shapiro
Power: 4.50 | Reach: 6 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 2
Daily Wire co-founder and editor emeritus Ben Shapiro, alongside business partner Jeremy Boreing, has built his right-of-center outlet into a key power player in the conservative movement. In 2023, the Daily Wire celebrated the launch of Bentkey, its new streaming service for children’s programming, as well as the premier of its first original sports comedy, “Lady Ballers.” Shapiro was also heavily involved in covering the Israel-Hamas war, at times butting heads with fellow conservative commentators like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens with differing opinions.
26. John Oliver
Power: 4.55 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 6 | Intangibles: 1
As the host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight since 2014, John Oliver has built a massive platform that shapes American culture and legislation. In the last year, his commentary has touched on a wide range of subjects, with particular emphasis on criticizing Elon Musk and attacking anti-trans activists.
25. Andrew Huberman
Power: 4.80 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 4
Andrew Huberman is a medical expert who has taken his knowledge and reduced it to bite-size reels for the world to consume. Huberman routinely makes the podcast rounds and is undoubtedly in your news feed.
24. Dave Portnoy
Power: 4.80 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 4
Dave Portnoy is back in the media limelight after stepping into his old role as CEO of Barstool. Portnoy has also shown he’s truly not afraid of controversy, spending yet another year attacking whom he deems his enemies including now the Ivy Leagues, bringing a whole new audience to the culture wars.
23. The Daily Wire
Power: 4.90 | Reach: 6 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 4
With the launch of Bentkey, which stands alone in the fight to offer an alternative to woke entertainment, Daily Wire has secured itself as a media force to be reckoned with.
22. Zero Hedge
Power: 4.95 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 6 | Intangibles: 3
Finance and news site Zerohedge remains on the pulse of what’s going on in the markets and beyond. They warn you about the moves of the elite and the traders day in, day out. The platform is the undisputed king of the breaking political-economic beat.
21. Sean Hannity
Power: 5.00 | Reach: 6 | Influence: 6 | Intangibles: 1
With the departure of Carlson from Fox News, Sean Hannity has returned again to the undisputed main attraction of the network. Hannity routinely brings in millions a night, which can’t be said about many other cable news shows. His moderation of the DeSantis-Newsom debate also served to boost his reputation as a force in election coverage.
20. Jake and Logan Paul
Power: 5.55 | Reach: 7 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 5
The Paul brothers are prominent internet personalities who rose to fame through their success on platforms like Vine and YouTube. Known for their controversial and often polarizing content, they have ventured into various worlds, including professional fighting, podcasting, and now politics.
19. Matt Drudge
Power: 5.60 | Reach: 8 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 3
Matt Drudge is the undefeated Aggregator in Chief. “The Drudge Report” remains the top news aggregator service in the world — bar none.
18. Dana White
Power: 5.70 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 7 | Intangibles: 5
Dana White’s UFC has become an epicenter of American culture, and he may single-handedly save the Bud Light brand from the trans controversy solely through his influence. He is also becoming a major voice in podcasting, having appeared on several major shows this year.
17. David Zaslav
Power: 5.75 | Reach: 7 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 6
The CEO of Discovery found himself acquiring the illustrious Warner Brothers movie studio and CNN following a long series of business deals. The New York Times called it the deal of a lifetime.
16. Xi Jinping
Power: 5.95 | Reach: 1 | Influence: 10 | Intangibles: 10
Xi has low reach due to not being on the air himself but has a high influence with TikTok and therefore elections. TIME Magazine was considering him for their Person of the Year (ultimately deciding on Taylor Swift). High intangible with how much of our economy depends on China, which was showcased by his audience of top U.S. leaders in government and business in California this November for APEC.
15. Sam Altman
Power: 6.00 | Reach: 5 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 10
Co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman performed a case study on how to recover from a bad weekend this year by getting fired and re-hired to his company with even more power in a matter of days.
14. Larry Page
Power: 6.10 | Reach: 6 | Influence: 4 | Intangibles: 10
Larry Page is the founder of Google and Alphabet, which owns YouTube. Additionally, Google has launched the Bard and Gemini AI tools that will rival OpenAI. Controlling YouTube, Google search, and AI platforms equates to massive influence.
13. Mark Zuckerberg
Power: 6.35 | Reach: 7 | Influence: 8 | Intangibles: 2
The owner of Meta, and thus Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and now Threads, Mark Zuckerberg reserves a top spot on our most influential list. He challenged Elon Musk to a cage match this year, which has yet to materialize. He is also building a $100 million complex with a doomsday bunker. So, take that for what you will.
12. New York Times
Power: 6.35 | Reach: 7 | Influence: 8 | Intangibles: 2
Legacy media still has a seat at the table, as its influence remains immense even as its status is constantly contested by both the right and the left. Having positioned itself as both the preeminent authority over cultural matters and the most vociferous defender of international democratic order, there is perhaps no better representative of The Regime.
11. Jeff Bezos
Power: 6.40 | Reach: 6 | Influence: 6 | Intangibles: 8
Owner of The Washington Post, Jeff Bezos’ Amazon has customers in every town in America, whether it is for their online store, their growing number of brick-and-mortar stores, their streaming platform through Prime, or their millions of Alexa users. Bezos, the Executive Chairman of Amazon, also jumped ship and left the west coast for Florida to be with his parents — and his spaceship company Blue Origin.
10. Tucker Carlson
Power: 6.50 | Reach: 6 | Influence: 8 | Intangibles: 5
The Cable King turned X King, Tucker Carlson had a wild year, from getting fired by Fox News in May 2023 to starting his own network in December. In between, he assembled a production team and began recording original interviews with a cast of characters including anarcho-libertarian Javier Milei, who is now President of Argentina, and former U.S. President Donald Trump, who did the interview to protest the first GOP debate hosted by Fox. Carlson is poised to transform the landscape of the 2024 election with his new network.
9. Andrew and Tristan Tate
Power: 6.65 | Reach: 8 | Influence: 7 | Intangibles: 3
Andrew had a meteoric rise to the top of Google trends last year, but this year was another big one for the kickboxing world champion turned social media personality and his dapper younger brother Tristan. Andrew converted to Islam, released a graphic novel, teamed up with his brother to revamp their online university, and landed himself in jail as the brothers fought a legal battle over allegations of sex trafficking (which they continue to fight and deride as nothing but a “matrix attack”). Outspoken as ever, the Tates have earned their spot in the top 10 drivers of the conversation.
8. Mr. Beast
Power: 6.75 | Reach: 9 | Influence: 6 | Intangibles: 3
The viral content maker (whose real name is James Donaldson) continues to rule the YouTube charts, receiving around 100 million views per video and using the profits to fund the next. He has also ventured into entrepreneurship this year, striking a deal with the Charlotte Hornets and furthering his Feastables and MrBeast Burger lines. His content model unfailingly brings in the views at a time when competition for eyeballs is at its maximum.
7. CoComelon / Candle Media
Power: 6.80 | Reach: 9 | Influence: 5 | Intangibles: 5
CoComelon is a children’s animation platform that has amassed hundreds of billions of views across its many channels. Managed by London-based Moonbug Entertainment, the company was acquired in 2022 by Candle Media for an estimated $3 billion. Candle Media is run by two former Disney executives, Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer, who were pressured to resign by their woke CEO leaders, Bob Iger and Bob Chapek, respectively. If you have a relative under five years of age, chances are they’ve watched CoComelon this week.
6. News Corp. (Feuding Murdoch Heirs)
Power: 6.80 | Reach: 7 | Influence: 7 | Intangibles: 6
With the resignation of News Corp. founder and chair Rupert Murdoch this year, the media conglomerate which owns Fox, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post, and more has officially been handed over to his children. Lachlan Murdoch, who is more right-leaning, will be taking central command, while his brother James continues to shift big capital into progressive activist movements. With their numerous publications in high circulation and with Fox News still holding onto the top-ranking cable news network, the internal dynamics of this family are sure to shape the media world for years to come.
5. Joe Rogan
Power: 6.85 | Reach: 8 | Influence: 7 | Intangibles: 4
The King of Podcasting, Joe Rogan continued to dominate the airwaves in ’23, holding onto the No. 1 podcast title on Spotify and interviewing countless pop-up stars of the year such as “Rich Men North of Richmond” singer Oliver Anthony as well as titans like Elon Musk, who showed off the indestructibility of his new Cyber Truck by allowing Rogan to shoot it with a crossbow live in one of the most #2023 moments.
4. Reed Hastings
Power: 7.10 | Reach: 9 | Influence: 7 | Intangibles: 3
Reed Hastings is the co-founder and executive chairman of Netflix, a streaming giant that revolutionized the entertainment industry. Known for his innovative approach to business and leadership, Hastings played a pivotal role in shaping the way people consume and experience content in the digital age.
3. Bob Iger
Power: 7.40 | Reach: 7 | Influence: 7 | Intangibles: 9
The Return of the Disney CEO King brought some stability back to the sprawling entertainment behemoth and acquired the rest of Hulu this year as the media empire ventures further into streaming. Iger is stuck with a lot of debt, as he is unable to sell ESPN. He has also indicated that his latest term will be a quest of restoring legitimacy to the brand in the eyes of many who have become fed up with the perceived political nature of the content. This has been acknowledged by Iger himself: “We have to entertain first. It’s not about messages.” Some say Iger has privately expressed regret about coming back to the role; time will tell if he will push through.
2. Donald Trump
Power 8.50 | Reach: 10 | Influence: 8 | Intangibles: 6
Teflon Don crests to the end of another year with tens of millions of supporters and legions of haters. Whether you like him or not, he is here to stay, as the GOP primary challenge against him has come up with nothing. The media also cannot get enough of him. He remains the undisputed king of the polls and is set to take on incumbent Joe Biden for the presidency next year, barring an overhaul of the country’s legal system to stop him.
1. Elon Musk
Power: 9.8 | Reach: 10 | Influence: 10 | Intangibles: 9
The futurist technology mogul decided to purchase Twitter to make it the free speech wild west. In doing so, he angered millions, earned the respect of millions more, and forever changed the direction of culture in the western world. And he is nowhere near stopping, as he intends to turn X into the “everything app.” The ramifications of this decision are so far-reaching that they have not even begun to be understood. All we can know at this moment is that 2023 was remade in the image of Elon Musk.
The Complete VT 50 for 2023
- Elon Musk
- Donald Trump
- Bob Iger
- Reed Hastings
- Joe Rogan
- Murdochs
- Cocomelon
- Mr Beast
- Tate Brothers
- Tucker Carlson
- Jeff Bezos
- New York Times
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Larry Page
- Sam Altman
- Xi Jingping
- David Zaslav
- Dana White
- Matt Drudge
- Paul Brothers
- Sean Hannity
- Zerohedge
- The Daily Wire
- Dave Portnoy
- Andrew Huberman
- John Oliver
- Ben Shapiro
- Pat McAfee
- Nelk Boys
- Stephen A. Smith
- Greg Gutfeld
- Charlamagne tha God
- Tim Pool
- Dan Bongino
- Bill Maher
- Lex Fridman
- Daniel Ek
- Piers Morgan
- Megyn Kelly
- Steve Bannon
- Young Turks
- Seth Dillon
- Jake Tapper
- Chris Pavlovski
- Candace Owens
- Steven Crowder
- Bob Pittman
- Joe Scarborough
- Charlie Kirk
- Chris Cuomo
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