Jeff Zucker Reportedly Made Rachel Maddow a $20M Offer to Be the Face of CNN+

Amid the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, which will likely close in 2022, CNN plans to launch a brand new streaming service, CNN+, and network CEO Jeff Zucker had been reportedly eyeing MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow to become the face of the new platform.

According to Puck News, Zucker offered Maddow around $20 million a year to anchor the not yet launched streaming service.

“A CNN rep confirmed Zucker tried to get Maddow specifically for CNN+ but not the price,” Puck News reported.

In turn, this offer from a rival network reportedly caused NBC Universal to enter panic mode, as they hurried to close a deal with Maddow, offering more money and a more flexible workload in order to retain their biggest star.

The anchor decided to remain at MSNBC, finally reaching an agreement with the network in August to sign a new multi-year contract.

Maddow currently leads MSNBC in the ratings, and is a consistent star for the network in her prime-time slot.

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