Jeff Zucker — the former CNN boss who was forced to resign after it was learned he had been carrying on a years-long consensual affair with a subordinate — is reportedly in talks to head a billion-dollar sports investment fund.
The ex-CNN president is in negotiations to join Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital Partners, according to The Ankler, a Substack newsletter. The Post has sought comment from RedBird Capital Partners.
The report stated that Zucker could join forces with the New York-based investment firm which recently acquired the XFL football league along with partners Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia.
RedBird Capital Partners also owns a piece of the Yankees’ regional sports cable network YES, the Italian soccer team AC Milan, and the Indian Premier League cricket club Rajasthan Royals.
According to The Ankler, industry observers believed that Zucker had few options to return as an executive at a news media organization given the nature of his departure from CNN.
Zucker “even flirted with the idea of running for [political] office,” according to The Ankler, but he eventually decided against doing so.
Gerry Cardinale is CEO of RedBird Capital, an investment firm that has ownership stakes in several sports ventures. AC Milan via Getty Images
Zucker is no stranger to the world of sports. As president and CEO of NBCUniversal, he oversaw a massive marketing and promotional campaign plugging the network’s coverage of the Olympic Games.
Zucker’s most recent job title of CNN Worldwide included oversight of the corporate behemoth’s sports media properties, among them Turner Sports, Bleacher Report and AT&T SportsNet.
In February, Zucker resigned after he failed to disclose to his bosses that he had been involved in a longstanding romantic relationship with Allison Gollust, who was chief marketing officer at CNN.
The nature of Zucker’s relationship with Gollust surfaced during an internal investigation into the network’s dismissal of its former primetime star Chris Cuomo.
Zucker resigned as head of CNN back in February — ending a nine-year reign at the helm of the network. Getty Images
Zucker quit after it was learned that he had been carrying on a years-long consensual affair with his top marketing officer, Allison Gollust. Gregory P. Mango
Cuomo was let go by Zucker last year after it was learned that he had helped his brother, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, craft communications strategy to deal with fallout from accusations that he sexually harassed several women.
Gollust, who had previously worked as a communications aide for then-Gov. Cuomo, acknowledged the relationship. She resigned weeks after Zucker ended his nine-year reign at the helm of CNN.
Chris Cuomo, who recently joined cable news upstart NewsNation, has pursued legal action in a bid to recoup tens of millions of dollars that he would have received as per the terms of his contract had he remained at CNN.