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.”

And so, with its final debate behind it, ABC bows out of the political stage, leaving behind a legacy of bold fact-checking, angry advertisers, and a pile of shredded contracts. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from this ordeal, it’s that in 2024, even facts come with a price tag—and ABC is no longer willing to pay it.