NBC’s Olympics Bonanza, Venu’s Price Tag Math, The .0001% Glow-Up

Happy Friday and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon rundown of Puck’s best new reporting.

First up today, Tara Palmeri gathers the latest intel from Mar-a-Lago, where Donald Trump, understandably flustered by the Harris-Walz momentum, is entertaining the notion of bringing Kellyanne Conway back into the fold—setting up a potential confrontation with other members of the campaign.

Plus, below the fold: Matt Belloni masterfully chronicles the latest inflection point in the linear TV meltdown. Lauren Sherman reveals why the .0001% are finally leaning into designer fashion. John Ourand foreshadows Brian Roberts’ next moves now that he’s finally locked down those precious NBA rights. On Impolitic, John Heilemann rings up Pablo Torre and Cari Champion for a lively insider conversation focused on the summer games. And on The Powers That Be, Ourand and Peter Hamby discuss NBC’s bonkers Olympics ratings and Venu’s price tag math.

TARA PALMERI

Amid the post-Biden Harris-Walzmentum, Trump is getting itchy for attention, and wondering if it’s time for a new voice on the campaign. Is Kellyanne Conway what he wants? Or needs?

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MATTHEW BELLONI

The entire media sector is entering a new, more sinister stage of the linear TV meltdown, with massive write-offs at Warner Discovery and Paramount… and yet, the situation confronting WBD C.E.O. David Zaslav is perhaps the most concerning.

LAUREN SHERMAN

Let’s be honest, money and taste never quite overlapped, but now the world’s wealthiest are making a concerted effort to dress the part.

JOHN OURAND

Comcast executives are thrilled about the value that the NBA can offer NBC’s primetime lineup and Peacock’s growth and retention rates. But making the deal profitable will require some strategery at the affiliate and distributor level—and the fun is about to begin.