Claim that ABC 'lost’ $27 million in ad revenue after 2024 presidential debate stems from satire

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump were the stars of the Sept. 10 presidential debate, but following the faceoff, some social media users have focused on ABC News, the debate’s television host. 

"ABC lost $27M in ad revenue after advertisers pulled ads from the network after the way they hosted the debate on Tuesday, September 10th, stating that it wasn't conducted fairly," read a Sept. 13 Threads post. "GREAT. WONDERFUL. I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER." 

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.  (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.) 

(Screengrab from Threads)

The post cited no particular reports as evidence, but a Google search of "ABC lost" and "$27 million" turned up a page on SpaceXMania.com that was clearly labeled "satire." 

"ABC Loses $27 Million in Advertising After Debate Fallout, ‘Won’t Be Hosting Any Debates In The Future,’" the story’s headline read. Without naming specific brands or advertisers, the piece claimed "five major advertisers" dropped their ABC News advertising, including "a luxury car brand," "a major fast-food chain" and "a high-end fashion label and a beverage giant." 

Additionally, SpaceXMania.com’s "about us" page said the site’s "mission" is "to bring you the freshest fake news, some sassy analysis, and a good dose of satire," with some additional focus on topics connected to Elon Musk, who owns SpaceX. 

"Quick heads up, though — every single article on our site is about as real as a unicorn sipping on a rainbow smoothie," the page said. "They’re pure fantasy, folks, not a snapshot of reality."

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stated on August 19, 2024 in in social media posts

Videos show Kamala Harris intoxicated.

SpaceXMania.com’s "disclaimer" page further clarified its use of the satire tag.

"Please note that the article(s) under the category ‘SATIRE’ are satirical in nature and are not meant to be taken seriously," it said. "These articles are meant to be humorous and are often entirely made up."

We searched using Google and the Nexis news database and found no credible reports that ABC lost advertisers or ad revenue because of its handling of the Sept. 10 presidential debate in Philadelphia. We also found no statements from ABC saying that the network had lost major advertisers.

We contacted ABC News and received no response before publication. 

This wasn’t the first baseless claim about the network that hosted the debate between Harris and Trump. PolitiFact rated claims that ABC fired the debate moderators Pants on Fire!

This fabricated story about ABC’s post-debate revenue merits the same: Pants on Fire!

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