If nothing else, itll be interesting to see if the list of donations grows and who might benefit. 2 min read. RELATED: Anonymous Batgirl Actor Allegedly "Very Offended" Over Film's Cancellation, Says Warner Bros. P. NATIONAL CABLE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NCTA PAC) ZASLAV, DAVID. 1. [50], In 2017, Zaslav was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. "David Zaslav: "The future of cable is that it's declining" but says "It offers a unique proposition to advertisers. He was born in Rockland County, New York, 3. Zaslav counts among his friends, Oprah Winfrey, Lloyd Blankfein (Goldman Sachs CEO) and Colin Powel (former Secretary of State). The pair claim their relationship turned romantic during the pandemic but others say it far predates COVID, and was common knowledge for as many as eight years. Brian Flood of right-wing Fox News ( 11/19/21) said of Malone's CNBC declaration: Liberty Media chairman John Malone, who sits on the Discovery, Inc. board of directors, wants to see left-wing CNN revert back to nonpartisan journalism following the completion of a merger that would put the liberal network under the Discovery channel. He is chairman for Auschwitz: The Past Is Present Committee. Zaslav himself hasnt helped matters stating that CNN would feature more right-wing viewpoints planting a flag for the center but what can readily available data tell us about the executive. Id lean Zaslavs politics arent right-wing based on this, hes just an out of touch suit. 19.8 %- . Last November, Zaslav told Deadline that he would take a hands-on approach at CNN and other WarnerMedia properties. "Who do they want managing the economy: Trump (Mnuchin, Powell, Kudlow) or Biden (Bernie, Warren and AOC)?," Bailey said. Democratic Party. Given six seats on the new company's board, Zaslav and Discovery appointed a roster of all white male directors. As David Zaslav prepared to take over Warner Bros. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), NCTA THE INTERNET & TELEVISION ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NCTAPAC) $10,000, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, LLC PAC $5,000, JOBS, EDUCATION, & FAMILIES FIRST JEFF PAC $5,000. By Georg Szalai. Zimmerman is running to be elected, Jeffries doesnt seem to sit on any relevant committees, and its Schumer. ", JEFF ZUCKER OUT AT CNN AFTER FAILING TO DISCLOSE CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH COLLEAGUE: I WAS WRONG. David Zaslav donated $535,750 to the Democratic Party. The show was commercially successful. He built partnerships like video-on-demand with Comcast. Discovery in April, hired Chris Licht as head of CNN, following the ouster of Jeff Zucker earlier this year. He enjoyed sports and loved to play tennis as a child. Discovery, one of the world's largest and most diverse media and entertainment companies with market leadership across all programming genres, including premium scripted television and movies, non-fiction series, international, animation, global sports and news. The Cook Political Report marks six Republican-held Senate seats in Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana and North Carolina as toss ups. He is married to Pam and they have three children. When Zaslav joined Discovery in 2007, the financial crisis was looming, and Netflix was about to start streaming. Sun Pacific Power Corp; Street Smart Outdoor "From my perspective, news is going to be a critical element," Zaslav said. Zaslavwill lead the combined company called Warner Bros. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. 2. He went to college to play tennis. But CNN is never going to be the network preferred by Republicans. But there appears to be more to it than Stelters style. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was confronted on Friday about the future of CNN, the liberal network he is set to oversee once a looming merger is official, but claimed the ousting of now-former CNN boss Jeff Zucker had nothing to do with rumors the network could shift to a nonpartisan approach. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia). David Zaslav, the chief executive of Discovery who will lead the new company, appointed many of his longtime lieutenants to key positions overseeing areas like cable networks, streaming, revenue . YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. 80.2 %-Republican Party. Jeff Zucker is considered to be the person responsible for the CNNs shift away from the nonpartisan outlet it was before his tenure. Did you say to the left? Kernan said, before taking back the question, saying he probably shouldnt have said that.. Here are 10 things you didnt know about David Zaslav. The company did not break out Discovery+ numbers specifically, so this tally includes its other, much smaller SVOD platforms, but the majority of that 20 million figure is made up of Discovery+ numbers, per Discovery. Why would they go anywhere else? Discovery CEO David Zaslav Amanda Edwards/Getty Images. Zucker and Allison Gollust had worked together for 20 years. Later in the CNBC interview, Zaslav referred to growth on the right side of the company, which he described as including WarnerMedia-owned HBO and a growing portfolio of sports rights. Internationally, DISCA has greatly expanded under Zaslavs reign. He is on the board of directors of the Cato Institute. Discovery boss will soon oversee CNN as part of deal with WarnerMedia, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 16: President and CEO, Discovery, Inc. David Zaslav speaks onstage during the Discovery, Inc. TCA Winter Panel 2020 at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 16, 2020 in Pasadena, California. Text. CNN's political stance is a source of frequent scrutiny in the news industry. The titan next door. This story has been shared 130,478 times. [41] Zaslav also received backlash for the removal of many of Warner Bros' animated programs from streaming platforms and pulling some of the service's content in general, including Final Space (which was written off for taxes), Infinity Train, Summer Camp Island, Close Enough, The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo and several hundred episodes of Sesame Street, among others, a decision Infinity Train creator Owen Dennis remarked rendered many of the programs effectively as "lost media". John Hendricks had the idea to create a cable station based on education and not just entertainment. "Jeff is a good friend of mine, but I can't speak to this issue," he told CNBC. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. joan cusack richard burke. 1. Discovery executives are treating Zuckersunexpected exit as a fresh startfor CNN, according to the networks own media reporter, Brian Stelter. The $43billion deal is almost done, after years of attempts by AT&T to spin the network off. . David Milton Zaslav was born on January 15, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. happened. Judith McHale was the attorney working with Discoverys John Hendricks to raise money to get the cable channel growing. David Zaslav arrives at the 2013 Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, wearing one of his trademark sweater vests. I cannot resign. "I think of CNN in a totally different way than I thought about it years ago. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Discovery projects was done in service of moving the company away from producing divisive left-wing content in favor of entertaining the average viewer. Of the top 10 political donors among S&P 500 CEOs, a majority gave big to GOP groups in the second quarter, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. May 20, 2022 3:33 PM EDT. Zaslav made a similar remark during an AT&T and Discovery joint news conference in May 2021, describingthe left side of the joint company as everything other than the content.. CNBC posted a clip of the exchange on Twitter, but later deleted it. They want to fix the shows first, but they dont realize the shows and ratings are connected.. Last week, CNN abruptly canceled the show and effectively fired Stelter and his staff. In December, a spokesman for Cuomo accused Zucker of knowing everything about his involvement in trying to help his brother while he navigated a sexual harassment scandal. ', CNN then hit back, saying: 'He has made a number of accusations that are patently false. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia) (Getty Images). Market data provided by Factset. In total $48,200 has been contributed to 11 entities total. He is the middle child with two brothers. Zaslav spearheaded the transaction between AT&T and Discovery to combine with WarnerMedia and create the combined Warner Bros. Mr. Zaslav spearheaded the transaction between AT&T's . Though Zaslav himself did not dispute the context of the comment when Joe Kernen asked for clarification, his true intent was made clear when Zaslav followed up by saying he views sports as being on the . Kernan, who makes no secret of his conservative leanings, burst out laughing as he responded: 'Definitely to the left. The details about his parents and siblings are not disclosed in any source. He hosts parties annually in Manhattan and in East Hampshire. 'Being that WarnerMedia's standards of business conduct require disclosure of relationships that develop with a boss and subordinate, Zucker's goose was officially cooked,' the report added. These dont come off as donations involving business but might be people Zaslav actually supports. Mr. Zaslav DISCA stock SEC Form 4 insiders trading. David Zaslav, who led the merger with CNN and Discovery, donated over $240,000. Scrambling to walk back the comments, Discoverys team said Zaslav often uses the phrases the left or the right to reference current and future business initiatives. As Trump and other Republicans slide in the polls, the idea that taxes could go up under a Democratic administration and Congress has forced GOP donors off the sidelines, according to people helping raise money for GOP organizations. Overall, I think wed be better off if we just had news networks, but we dont.. His responsibilities extended to Bravo, CNBC World, SCI FI, ShopNBC, Sleuth, Telemundo, Telemundo Puerto Rico, mun2, Trio, Universal HD, USA Network, NBC Weather Plus and the Olympics on cable. "I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing,"Malonesaid in an interview that aired on CNBC. I think Fox News is much more of an advocacy network than a news network, Zaslav said, according to Washington Post media reporter Jeremy Barr. After working with Discovery and MTV at the law firm for a few years, Zaslav happened to read an article about Bob Wright, an executive at NBC. Discovery CEO calls CNN 'leader in news to the left'. Fox News positions itself as a conservative-leaning network, serving those on the political right. People close to both men insist that Zaslav is . Cuomo's legal team ultimately told CNN investigators that it washypocritical to suggest that the host had a personal conflict of interest while Zucker had failed to disclose his own relationship with comms chief Allison Gollust - even though it was an 'open secret' at the company. The Discovery CEO also took aim at Fox News, describing the conservative outlet as much more of an advocacy network than a news network., I think overall wed probably be better off if we just had news networks in America, Zaslav said. David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Inc., revealed today his impending executive leadership picks as WarnerMedia and Discovery finalize the terms of their merger. He also enjoyed the Entertainment Law course he took at Boston University. Married with 3 children, his kids laugh at his Sirius station choices, Bruce Springsteen and the 1970s Station. As President and CEO, David Zaslav sets the strategy and oversees all operations for Discovery's global suite of brands across pay-TV, free-to-air, direct-to-consumer and other digital platforms. didn't, they say, have many progressive ideas. Zaslav earned a BS degree from Binghamton University. And then were the leader in news to the left, Zaslav told CNBC on Friday. . Illustration by Anthony J. Foti. Billionaire Trump donor, who is the largest shareholder of the network's new owner Discovery, wants to restore it to impartiality - and INSISTED on Jeff Zucker's departure after his affair was exposed, Jeff Zucker and girlfriend Allison Gollust 'advised "pandemic hero" Andrew Cuomo on how to handle COVID' and even 'gave him talking points on how to publicly spar with Donald Trump', 'I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, 'Vindication': Georgia Harrison on ex Stephen Bear's sentencing, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' CNBC host Joe Kernan laughed and responded . The Bionic Lens Could Lead to Better Than 20/20 Vision, How to Apply for a Small Business Loan in New Jersey, The Five Highest Grossing Indian Movies of All-Time, 20 Winnie The Pooh Quotes That Apply to Business, Eight Reasons to go to French Polynesias Marquesas Islands, How Lisa Rinna Achieved a Net Worth of $10 Million, 20 Cities with The Worst Weather in Europe, How Zac Stacy Achieved a Net Worth of $6 Million. As for Hasbro, Zaslav saw the potential to reach children with educationally tied programming. Later, Zaslav would teach a graduate course in cable television business as an adjunct professor at Fordham University. So, how much is David Zaslav worth at the age of 62 years old? [2] Zaslav spearheaded the transaction between AT&T and Discovery to combine with WarnerMedia and create the combined Warner Bros. I am in a different position and I am working with a different standard than these other politicians I understand why they have to say what they are saying. [37][38][39], Since August 2022, Zaslav received heavy criticism for his decision to heavily shrink down the content library on the streaming service HBO Max, to be used as tax write-offs. 2-min read. . Plotkin is a political analyst, a contributor to the BBC on American . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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Contribution Totals: Download all contribution records for this person from 1999 to present To a Spreadsheet or Other File Type: 2020 Transaction Count/Amount: 12/$253,250: 2018 Transaction Count/Amount: 15/$148,300: 2016 Transaction Count/Amount: Robert Zimmerman, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, and Sen. Chuck Schumer. Warner Bros. The ratings are getting worse because they are taking out all the bells and whistles. Deadline reported last night that it was Malone who insisted on Zucker's departure after learning of the affair. . [20][21], Zaslav became CEO of Discovery Communications in November 16, 2006, succeeding Judith McHale. Zucker's leadership of CNN since 2013 saw the network lurch farther to the left, particularly after the political rise of former President Donald Trump. The development comes as the presumptive Democratic nominee has expanded his lead in the polls over President Donald Trump. [9][10][47] In 2012, he received the Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award from the UJA-Federation of New York[48] which honors people of vision, energy and sustained achievement in the entertainment, media and communications industries. LIBERTY MEDIA CHAIRMAN CHIDES CNN TO 'ACTUALLY HAVE JOURNALISTS' FOLLOWING AT&T-DISCOVERY MERGER, "None of us had anything to do with it. Cuomo's spokesman denied the claim, saying: 'These apparently anonymous allegations are not true.'. Discovery Lost $20 Billion in Market Cap Trying to Cut $3 Billion in Costs", "HBO Max is treating animation fans and creators like hot, burning garbage", "Infinity Train Creator Says Animation Teams Were Given No Warning Before HBO Max Purge", "Seven New Members Elected to University's Board of Trustees", CableFax: "Never Forget: Zaslav, Spielberg Help Commemorate Auschwitzs Liberation", UJA-Federation of New York: "Oprah, Wiesel Honor Zaslav at Leadership Awards Dinner", "Oprah, Wiesel Honor Zaslav at Leadership Awards Dinner", "David Zaslav: The 100 Most Influential People of 2022", "He ran Animal Planet and HGTV. Discovery Inc., one of the largest media companies in the world, he told friends in Hollywood that he would hire the best people he could find . ', Nevertheless, the remark went viral, prompting mirth and mockery from both the left and the right, with one Twitter user remarking: 'Bias confirmed. Follow the money. Other notable S&P 500 CEO contributions to Republican led groups in the second quarter include Robert Bradway, the chief executive of biopharmaceutical company Amgen; Daniel Amos, the CEO of insurance giant Aflac; and Gregory Brown, the CEO of Motorola Solutions. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Discovery CEO David Zaslav dropped his usual quota of names during the company's quarterly earnings call John Malone, Jack Welch, Oprah but one name didn't come up: Jeff Zucker.. "Zas," as he is known to friends, spent the first two decades of his career at NBC, where he helped launch CNBC and MSNBC before taking the helm at Discovery in 2007. JEFF ZUCKERS CNN EXIT: FIERY MEETING, SOMBER CONFERENCE CALL PROVE MANY STAFFERS ALREADY MISS FORMER BOSS, "So youve got a guy whos run it for nine years," Kernen said, referring to Zucker. The organization promotes awareness of the Holocaust. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments. Unlike WarnerMedia's last CEO, new chief David Zaslav is embracing movie theaters and traditional cable . His newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, The show was cancelled by Chris Licht, CNNs new chairman and CEO, who reportedly was not a fan of Stelters opinionated style., or several years, Brian Stelters Sunday show on, stop referring to Donald Trumps big lie, Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few. Why? In fact, Zaslavclaimed Discovery didn't have anything to do with Zucker's stunning exit, when he was bluntly asked on CNBC about the future of CNN, as well as remarks by Liberty Media chairman John Malone last year that he wanted CNN to revert to more traditional journalism. Cuomo told investigators under oath that they only had 'irregular contact'. The President and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Inc., David M. Zaslav aka David Zaslav was born and brought up on 15th January 1960 in Brooklyn, New York, the United States. According to sources cited by Rolling Stone on Thursday, the pair breached journalism ethics to help Cuomo behind the scenes in the same way that his younger brother Chris did. Mediaite, which initially reported on the comment as a political remark, later issued a correction to clarify that 'Zaslav was referring to the left side of the Discovery portfolio, not the left side of the political aisle. Zaslav, who took the helm of Discovery and WarnerMedia after it merged to form Warner Bros. Another round of layoffs in December pushed out CNN political pundit Chris Cillizza and Atlanta-based anchor Martin Savidge, who'd been . Zaslav is Jewish and describes his family life as normal. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In the second quarter of the year, CNN primetime reeled in an average of 670,000 total viewers and 155,000 in the demo. This attorney also worked with the Discovery Channel and MTV which were struggling new cable stations at the time. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was confronted on Friday about the future of CNN, the liberal network he is set to oversee once a looming merger is official, but claimed the ousting of now-former CNN . Discovery Inc. Chief Executive David Zaslav will remove executive layers and take direct oversight of key creative and news operations upon the company's merger with AT&T Inc.'s WarnerMedia . Domestically, HBO Max and HBO have a combined 45.2 million subscribers. Chris Cuomo refused to leave CNN quietly after being fired for helping quash sex assault allegations against his brother, disgraced ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo - and he was 'trying to burn the place down' when he ousted Jeff Zucker's secret relationship with a senior network executive. That cycle, which covers contributions made in 2019, shows Zaslav contributed small sums to one Republican and three Democrats. 'In terms of CNN+ we couldn't be more excited about the fact that they've been hiring great journalists,' he said, likely referring to the hiring of former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace. In one text, on March 3, he also asked DeRosa to 'please let me help with prep'. Mediate recently reported that Stelter and Acosta beat out CNNs weekday primetime programming a rare feat that demonstrates just how bad things are at CNN. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, Less Than Half of U.S. Discovery+ Subscribers Are Also HBO Max Customers, David Zaslav Says, Discoverys David Zaslav Wants Industry to Leave Nielsen in the Dust. Aug 20, 2022. Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few and The Common Good. Fox News has that sewn up. Warner Bros. Where the country was when we launched MSNBC was much more fact-based and less divided.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Chris was fired from CNN for helping Andrew through a sexual misconduct scandal and in the messy fallout from his departure, the affair between Zucker and Gollust has surfaced. As Republicans move further rightward into the netherworld of authoritarianism, theres even less possibility that CNNs news coverage will be able to satisfy them, nor should CNN even try. Next quarter the company projects $1.6 billion in profit, and for 2023, it expects to have operating margins of 21 to 22 percent, up from 18 to 20 percent in 2022. [17] As president of Cable and Domestic TV and New Media Distribution, he oversaw content distribution to all forms of TV, negotiated for cable and satellite carriage of NBCUniversal networks and forged media partnerships.[18][19]. [13][14] He was captain of the varsity tennis team.[15]. Discovery is almost five months old and the stock price has plunged by half as CEO David Zaslav navigates the shifting streaming wars, new Hollywood headaches, and unrest at news . As Trump and other Republicans slide in the polls, the idea that taxes could go up under a Democratic administration and Congress has forced wealthy GOP donors off the sidelines. His mandate for Licht, a former executive producerof CBSs The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, was to get rid of the sensational, partisan, Trump-focused coverage made popular under Zucker. Discovery Inc. Chief Executive David Zaslav told employees that he wants CNN to focus on maximizing its impact, not profitability, and set itself . [40] Some of those projects were "practically finished" or in the late stages of post-production, including Batgirl and Scoob! ', The comments below have not been moderated, By The reason? When he joined Discovery in 2006, it was a small collection of education-oriented cable channels. Zaslav is listed as living in New York and all three are politicians from New York. or redistributed. 2023 CNBC LLC. Barr also said Zaslav did not give an answer when asked about current CNN boss Jeff Zuckers future at the soon-to-be combined company. Market data provided by Factset. The goal succeeded in getting DISCA into school educational programs. Discovery CEO David Zaslav embraces the past as he plans his company's future. All rights reserved. I think youre seeing more of that at CNN. He noted that the recent run of corporate executives giving to Republicans is a sign that the campaign is fervently calling these donors. At the time, they were competing with Headline News and CNN. Warner Bros. Is it a good one? For legal reasons, Discovery must avoid getting involved with WarnerMedia until the deal has been approved by the U.S. government. Discovery in his first global town hall with the new company's employees on Thursday. Keith Griffith For Dailymail.com During his tenure in law school, Zaslav worked as a summer associate at 2 law firms in Los Angeles, California. The network boss camped out in mid-July in . 'Jeff is a good friend of mine. Zaslav is a member of several boards including Sirius XM Radio, Lions Gate Entertainment, National Cable and Telecommunications Assoc., The Cable Center, Grupo Telviso, and USC Shoah Foundation. Zaslav's remarks come just days after the spectacular ouster of CNN boss Zucker, who resigned under a cloud this week. They are doing that, and there's still time," Eberhart said. "CNN is a fantastic asset, I cant wait to get in there. CNNs political stance is a source of frequent scrutiny in the news industry. Zaslav also rejected rumors about the potential role of John Malone, a billionaire Trump donor, who is the CEO of Liberty Media, Discovery's largest shareholder. Malone, who sits on the Discovery Communications Inc., board of directors, said in November he wanted to see CNNrevert to nonpartisan journalism following thecompletion of a mergerthat would put it under the Discovery umbrella. All rights reserved. Definitely to the left. Zaslav was speaking at the Paley International Council Summit when . But, according to CNN's own chief media correspondent Brian Stelter, Cuomo refused to go quietly because his $18 million exit package was on the line. But one well-placed source told The Post that the ratings have taken a hit due in part to removing such sensational and delicious details that have become commonplace in cable news. By Dade Hayes. So maybe Zaslav isn't offended by the transparent political bias of CNN. AP. We don't own the company yet. His name alone can send chills down one's spine, but when Fixer Upper (the . Its unlikely that Malone instructed Zaslav to tell Licht to fire Stelter. David M. Zaslav was born on January 15, 1960 in Rockland County, New York. Before her recent spending spree, Catz had given very few political contributions this cycle. Even straight news reporting depends on what stories are featured, which facts are highlighted and the context surrounding the news. That Saturday was also the worst-rated since 1993, which pre-dated CNNs top competitors Fox News and MSNBC. Further details about the allegation were unclear. ', The CNBC host, chuckling, then apologized and withdrew his comment, saying 'I probably shouldn't have said that.'. Zaslav didnt clarify in response, and it immediatelywent viral on social media, where users pointed to it as an acknowledgement that CNN leans left politically. The CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the United States have started ramping up their donations to Republican causes as concern grows about Joe Biden's plan to raise the corporate tax rate. And when asked about the future of cable, the former protector of the cable bundle acknowledged that the medium is declining, but believes it will still stick around a lot longer than people think.. David Zaslav the CEO of Discovery Inc., and Bob Iger, the former CEO of Disney who is now the company's executive chairman, are among the top executive Democratic donors from the second quarter. Stelters show, which focuses on big media stories and how the press covers the news, also marked its lowest second quarter since 2019, with an average of 679,000 viewers and 111,000 average demo viewers. Despite the increased support from CEOs, Biden and the Democratic National Committee outraised their opponents in the second quarter.