Warner Bros. Discovery Plans One-Stop Shop for Sports and Entertainment in U.K. With BT Sport Deal

Wilson Chapman editorMajor entertainment companies Amazon Studios, Warner Bros. Discover, A+E Networks and Banijay Americas have signed on to join Coded for Inclusion, an initiative that aims to combat discriminatory hiring systems in the industry through its Staff Me Up platform.

J.J. Abrams’ ambitious HBO sci-fi drama series Demimonde has hit a major roadblock in its long journey to the screen. The issues, related to the show’s price, come amid talk of a potential reevaluation of the massive deal J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot has at Warner Bros. for film, TV, gaming and digital content as the new Warner Bros. Discovery is scrutinizing every aspect of the assets they took over.

Warner Bros. Discovery has formally named Nathaniel Brown chief corporate communications officer of the newly merged company.

Nathaniel Brown has been named chief corporate communications officer for Warner Bros. Discovery, the company announced on Tuesday.Brown will be responsible for its global communications operations and media relations, while also serving as lead spokesperson.Brown previously led global corporate communications for Discovery, Inc. as the company’s executive vice president of global communications.

EXCLUSIVE: Bong Joon-Ho’s follow-up film to Oscar winner Parasite is currently in pre-production at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden.

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, proclaimed the merged company as essentially the fifth broadcast network, and repeated his vow that the company would overcome any skepticism about its prospects.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorWarner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav raised the curtain on the combined Warner Bros.

Manori Ravindran International EditorFilm financier Amcomri Entertainment and Ireland’s Studio Atlantic have struck a multi-picture production deal.The pact comes ahead of the release of Studio Atlantic’s latest production, “The Gates,” a Victorian period horror starring John Rhys Davies, Richard Brake, Elena Delia and Michael Yare, which is currently being sold in Cannes by Amcomri Entertainment’s sales arm 101 Films Intl.The deal will see Amcomri Prods. co-finance a slate of movies and become an official financing partner of Studio Atlantic, with 101 Films Intl.

Selome Hailu Months before the Warner Bros. Discovery deal was completed, execs at the now-merged company promised to find $3 billion in synergy savings over the next three years.

Selome Hailu In a memo obtained by Variety on Thursday, Warner Bros. Discovery’s head of HR Adria Alpert Romm reiterated to staffers that they’d be required to work from the office three days per week beginning June 1.Discovery’s acquisition of WarnerMedia was completed on April 8. On April 26, Deadline reported the company’s first memo mentioning the 3-day requirement.The news comes amid a series of high profile executive exits at Warner Bros.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterBrad Wilson, HBO Max’s U.S. general manager and EVP of global data, CRM and growth, is exiting amid an ongoing shakeup at new company Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Discovery and British telecom giant BT Group have confirmed plans to form a 50-50 joint venture, creating a new premium sport offering for the UK and Ireland. This will see the transfer of the operating businesses of BT Sport to Warner Bros Discovery, effectively merging the content offering of both BT Sport and Eurosport UK.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefWarner Bros. Discovery and telco giant BT are to launch a premium sports venture in the U.K. and Ireland.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Johanna Fuentes is leaving as Head of Global Communications for Studios and Networks Group after a transitional period. The departure is a result of a decision to decentralize the communications functions of the recently formed Warner Bros. Discovery whose communications teams will be announced later.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterBrett Weitz is exiting as general manager of TBS, TNT and truTV, Variety has learned.Weitz, who was appointed to the role in January 2019, was among the group of WarnerMedia execs that came over under the new David Zaslav-selected regime at Warner Bros. Discovery, following the close of the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger in early April.Weitz was moved under Discovery lifestyle channels chief Kathleen Finch, who assumed a newly created role of chairman and chief content officer of U.S.

Warner Bros Discovery UK EVP & Country Manager, UK & Ireland, Polly Cochrane is stepping down after 13 years.

EXCLUSIVE: Jeffrey Schlesinger, who was previously President, Warner Bros Worldwide Television Distribution, has set up his own consultancy shingle.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAfter buying WarnerMedia from AT&T, the company now known as Warner Bros. Discovery has a new acquisition target: primetime ad dollars that have been going to ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.The new entertainment giant has been talking to big media-buying agencies about an enhanced package of commercial inventory in top programs that encompass not only lifestyle shows from Discovery outlets like Food Network and TLC, but also sports properties from Turner Sports; movies that might turn up on TNT and TBS; and tentpole events at CNN.Traditional hits in broadcast primetime “are hard to find” in the streaming era, says Jon Steinlauf, chief U.S. advertising officer for Warner Bros.

RTS London Unveils Lineup & Warner Bros Discovery’s Priya Dogra As Chair