Jeff Zucker Buys Sports Media Outlet Known For Fake News

Former CNN president Jeff Zucker's RedBird IMI agreed to purchase a stake in sports media startup Front Office Sports (FOS).

Axios says Zucker will serve as co-chair of the company's board.

RedBird IMI is a $1 billion investment fund focused on media, entertainment, and sports.

"Zucker now has a brand and platform that he can use to develop and license new documentaries and video projects, with a source saying FOS will seek to hire new on-camera talent," adds Axios.

Under Zucker's leadership, CNN developed a reputation for reporting "fake news." No wonder he bought FOS.

Agents, media talents, executives, and PR reps routinely mock FOS's made-up sports media "reports." Contact one of them. They have stories.

Just over the past three months, the FOS reported the following:

-- Kendrick Perkins was emerging as the frontrunner to replace Jalen Rose on NBA Countdown

-- J.J. Redick was emerging as the frontrunner to replace Jeff Van Gundy during the NBA Finals

-- LeSean McCoy was emerging as the frontrunner to replace Shannon Sharpe on Undisputed

-- No big-name media personalities would accept a job with Skip Bayless on Undisputed.

Since those reports, ESPN promoted Bob Myers to Countdown, not Perkins; Doc Rivers and Doris Burke replaced Van Gundy, not Redick; LeSean McCoy was not even included in the Undisputed rotation; and, big-name media personalities Michael Irvin, Richard Sherman, Lil Wayne, and Rachel Nichols accepted a job with Skip Bayless on Undisputed.

Ouch.

And when not breaking fake news media scoops, the outlet has been known to take credit for already reported/confirmed stories.

In July, a reporter for the outlet tweeted that "@FOS exclusively learned" that "ESPN does not plan to renew Bomani Jones' expiring contract."

Fact.

However, OutKick reported that exact news five weeks prior to "FOS exclusively learning" that ESPN was canning Bomani.

FOS "reported" the news three weeks after Stephen A. Smith confirmed on-air that ESPN laid off Bomani Jones.

And get this, FOS "reported" the news two weeks after Bomani, himself, announced that ESPN had laid him off.

There's a good chance that Front Office Sports will next "exclusively learn" that CNN is going to fire Chris Cuomo.

Jeff Zucker is going to fit right in.

By the way, if you talk to a FOS reporter, tell them Bobby Burack is "emerging as the frontrunner" to be Mark Jones' next broadcaster partner.