The Scarlet Telegram, Jeff Roe Redux, Fashion’s High Times

Happy Friday and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon memo featuring Puck’s latest reporting.

First up today, Matt Belloni wrangles numerous bankers, analysts, and Warners insiders past and present to compile a detail-rich (and highly-speculative) rundown of David Zaslav’s fire sale options in the aftermath of WBD’s grueling quarter and embarrassing stock price nadir.

Plus, below the fold: Lauren Sherman reveals the name-brand designer on deck to lead Chanel’s next era. John Ourand has the details on a looming MLB local rights bidding war. Tara Palmeri reunites with everyone’s favorite mercenary mega-consultant, Jeff Roe, to discuss the ’24 state of play. On Fashion People, Lauren huddles up with Edie Parker’s Brett Heyman to dig into the technicalities of fusing the cannabis and fashion industries. And on The Powers That Be, Julia Ioffe joins Peter Hamby to unpack the geopolitical implications (and political misunderstandings) surrounding the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov.

MATTHEW BELLONI

Coming off a stock price nadir, with its legacy TV business cratering, Warner Bros. Discovery has reached the point where it may need to sell some stuff. Herewith, a rating of marketable assets and the highly speculative likelihood that David Zaslav will part with them.

LAUREN SHERMAN

After a few twists and turns, Simon Porte Jacquemus has emerged as the leading contender to succeed Virginie Viard as the heir to the House of Lagerfeld. He’s now preparing to present to the Wertheimers. (But there are some backup plans, too…)

JOHN OURAND

I’m told that several of the world’s biggest media and technology companies—Amazon, Apple, Google/YouTube, and NBCUniversal—are checking in with MLB on a regular basis about the possibility of getting local rights as they come available.

TARA PALMERI

Everybody’s favorite mercenary mega-consultant offers a candid assessment of the 2024 state of play, DeSantis regrets, becoming a Trump frenemy, Kamalamentum, and those “latte-drinking men.”