Industry experts, advertisers and executives said Al Jazeera needs to define its mission to attract American viewers. Al Jazeera America had found it a challenge to get distributors in the US because of the widely-held perception that it is anti-American. The sentiment was common in the US, especially when the network did its coverage of the US-Iraq War.

Director of National Television Ad Buying at Omnicom's media agency OMD Chris Geraci said obvious questions about Al Jazeera America do exist. "I don't know that the message had gotten out as clearly as it can yet," he said. He also stressed the importance of focusing on the US. "If they don't focus on the U.S., they aren't going to have a U.S. audience," he added. Geraci did say that the network had shifted its focus when it gave presentations to advertising sales executives in Madison Avenue. Other experts, meanwhile, say that downplaying its Mideast and international coverage to focus narrowly on the US could be detrimental to its success.

The network, which was funded by the emir of Qatar, was able to secure Pay TV distribution in the US after purchasing Current TV, which was formerly owned by Al Gore, in January.