Discovery CEO Hopes Industry Leaves Nielsen ‘in the Dust’ After Ratings Blunders

David Zaslav, counting 18 million streaming subscribers, eyes mid-2022 close on WarnerMedia merger

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As CEO David Zaslav eyes the completion of the mega-merger between his Discovery Inc. and WarnerMedia, which remains on track for a mid-2022 close, there won’t be a lot of love for the measurement firm Nielsen at the newly combined company.

In a call with investors Tuesday morning, the television executive railed on the measurement firm, which is facing intense industry pressure after admitting that it accidentally under-counted television audience measurement in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s

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