Conservative TV commentator Glenn Beck may still have a few months before he leaves his Fox News talk show, but he's already prepping for his next venture: a daily deals website.

Mercury Radio Arts, the production company that Glenn Beck controls, has officially launched MarkDown.com. The site is almost identical to Groupon, LivingSocial and the thousands of other companies in the group buying space — it provides a daily deal if enough people purchase it within a specified time limit. Its first deal is $20 worth of chocolate from Chocolate.com for $10.

Markdown also boasts a referral system. If a user refers a friend to the site and that friend buys something, the user gets a 10% discount on the discounted price. In other words, 10 referrals and the item being promoted is free.

“Markdown is a place where I will be able to connect you directly with the products and retailers that I love," Beck said on his website. "...But, best of all, Markdown is a place where my personal slogan and values will be brought to life.”







Beck intends to use his name and reputation to kickstart the website's growth. According to The Wall Street Journal, Beck intends to plug Markdown.com across his media empire, including his radio show, newsletter and news website TheBlaze.com.

Beck's controversial Fox News show has propelled him into the limelight, but advertisers began abandoning the show after Beck called President Barack Obama racist. He has also been dogged with declining ratings.

Creating a Groupon competitor seems like an odd move for a TV and radio commentator, but Beck does have a loyal fanbase. We expect him to continue leveraging his fans as he expands into other ventures.

What do you think of Glenn Beck's Groupon competitor? Let us know in the comments.