Executives at Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) have lifted the curtain on the new names for their film studio and cable networks business once the segments are separated into different companies in the coming months.
On Monday, executives confirmed that the cable networks business, tentatively referred to as “Global Networks” in earlier announcements, will be called Discovery Global Media when the spin-off is complete. The remaining business that houses the film studio, television production venture and streaming platforms HBO Max and Discovery Plus — previously called “Streaming & Studio” — will be called the Warner Bros Company.
The leadership of Warner Bros Company will consist of the following executives:
- David Zaslav, President and CEO
- Pam Abdy, Co-Chair and CEO Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
- Priya Aiyar, Chief Legal Officer
- Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and HBO Max
- Bruce Campbell, Chief Operating Officer
- Mike De Luca, Co-Chair & CEO, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
- Channing Dungey, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. TV Group
- Robert Gibbs, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer
- James Gunn, Co-Chairman and CEO, DC Studios
- Lori Locke, Chief Accounting Officer
- J.B. Perrette, CEO & President of Streaming and Games
- Peter Safran, Co-Chairman and CEO, DC Studios
- Avi Saxena, Chief Technology Officer
“We will proudly continue the more than century-long legacy of Warner Bros. through our commitment to bringing culture-defining stories, characters and entertainment to audiences around the world,” Zaslav said in a prepared statement on Monday. “Over the past several years, we have made important strides across the business, launching and investing in a profitable, global streaming service and reinvigorating our studios to return them again to an industry-leading position. With our unmatched portfolio of storytelling IP coupled with our incredible creative partners, and now an executive team of proven, bold, and committed creative and corporate leaders, we are in a strong position to launch and continue to meaningfully grow a company worthy of our storied past.”
The leadership at Discovery Global Networks will consist of the following executives:
- Gunnar Wiedenfels, President and CEO, Discovery Global
- David Duvall, Chief Technology Officer
- Amy Girdwood, Chief People & Culture Officer
- Ryan Gould, President, U.S. Ad Sales GTM
- Anil Jhingan, Chief Development Officer
- Kasia Kieli, President and MD, Poland and CEO, TVN
- Fernando Medin, President, International
- Scott Miller, President, Distribution
- Fulvia Nicoli, Executive Vice President, Content Strategy & Insights
- Brian Rauch, Chief Accounting Officer
- Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO, TNT Sports
- Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
- Sue Underwald, Chief Legal Officer
- Bobby Voltaggio, President, U.S. Ad Sales Platform Monetization
- Fraser Woodford, Chief Financial Officer
- Gerhard Zeiler, President, U.S., U.K. & Germany, Discovery Plus and Chief Content Officer
Discovery Global will hold as much as 20 percent equity in the Warner Bros Company when the spin-off is effectuated, executives said in June. The cable networks business intends to use its equity position in the streaming and studios company to pay down debt.
When the spin-off is complete, Discovery Global will offer linear channels that account for 1.1 billion unique viewers across 200 countries and territories, broadcasting TV shows, news, movies and sports in 68 different languages, WBD said in a statement.
“As we prepare for the launch of Discovery Global, our enthusiasm for the opportunities ahead only grows thanks to our leading portfolio of beloved brands and programming, our worldwide footprint for adults, kids, and families, and now the experienced and talented leadership team who will ensure strong operational execution to drive strategic investments and deliver compelling content to global audiences,” Widenfels said in a statement on Monday.
The spin-off is similar to one being carried out by Comcast right now, which involves the separation of most entertainment and news cable networks — except Bravo — into a new company called Versant.
Like other entertainment companies, WBD and Comcast have faced ongoing pressure from the cable television industry as churn associated with cable and satellite chips away at distribution fee and advertising revenue.
Separating the cable networks business from other units is intended to insulate the more-lucrative parts of both companies from underperforming elements — mainly, cable TV.
