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The Zaz-Roberts Proxy War

Warner Bros. Discovery’s inability to lock down its NBA rights, thus allowing NBC to bid them up, represents David Zaslav’s latest headache—and, perhaps, unforced error. And it may offer a taste of the negotiating tenor in a potential future WBD-NBCU combination.

david zaslav
Zaslav’s cost-cutting mission has enacted controversial strategic changes that have pushed people out of work, pissed off the creative community, and sapped storied brands like HBO and CNN of their esprit de corps. Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair
Dylan Byers
May 2, 2024

On a recent Friday night in April, David and Pam Zaslav were on a double date at Porter House with private equity billionaire David Rubenstein and Caryn Zucker, his partner and the ex-wife of the former CNN president. The dimly lit (and slightly tacky) wood-paneled steakhouse in the old Time Warner Building, just off Columbus Circle, is one of the very few culinary theaters frequented by the Manhattan media gentry, so it was not altogether surprising when Zaz looked up and spotted ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon, who was dining with his new spouse, Tim Malone, and another guest.