As news of ABC’s advertising exodus spread, it became a trending topic on social media, where users debated not the issues of the candidates, but which brand was the first to bail. #WhoJumpedFirst quickly became the hashtag of the week.
“I’m just mad that my favorite cereal brand bailed before the second half of the debate,” tweeted one user. “Now I’ll never know if Trump was right about the aliens hiding in cornfields.”
Another user posted, “I wasn’t even watching the debate, but I’m here for the chaos. Losing $27 million in one night? That’s record-breaking!”
ABC, in damage control mode, tried to downplay the controversy by offering a free 30-day streaming trial for anyone who had been “emotionally affected” by the debate fallout. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work.
For ABC, the future is now a murky, fact-checked-at-every-turn path. With $27 million gone and five major advertisers retreating faster than a political candidate faced with a tough question, the network has to reconsider its approach to hosting political events.
“We’ll still cover the news, obviously,” said the exasperated ABC spokesperson. “But as for debates? We’ll leave those to the networks who are willing to take the risk. Maybe Fox News or CNN will be braver than us—or just more willing to lose $27 million.”
