WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar Formalizes Plan To Exit Company Ahead Of Discovery Deal Close

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav brought out the big guns during his address to the new company at its first global town hall for employees Thursday.The newly merged company brought out its most famous employee, Oprah Winfrey, to moderate the event and to help introduce Zaslav to Hollywood.Winfrey is a longtime supporter of the media mogul, who has championed the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) — a cable channel jointly jointed by Warner Bros. Discovery and Harpo Studio — alongside her since its launch in 2011.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaWall Street appears to like what Warner Bros. Discovery is selling.The combined media company started off its first full day of trading Monday in the green. Shares of Warner Bros.

closed on Friday.Zaslav’s travel agenda will take him to WarnerMedia’s global headquarters in New York on Monday, Warner Bros. offices in Atlanta on Tuesday, WarnerMedia/HBO offices in Culver City on Wednesday, and concluding with a town hall at WarnerMedia offices on the iconic Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank, according to the individual.

according to CNN.Discovery stakeholders had approved the deal in mid-March.The merger will place AT&T’s Warner Bros., CNN, Turner and Discovery’s stable of nonfiction networks squarely under one roof — as well as two currently competing streaming services, Discovery+ and HBO Max, possibly giving the combined entity a fighting chance of moving into competition with Netflix and Disney+ among the leading streaming services.The deal also combines WarnerMedia’s U.S. sports rights like the NBA, MLB and March Madness with Discovery international sports giant Eurosport.

now officially merged WarnerMedia and Discovery will open for business as Warner Bros. Discovery Monday.While little is known about the future of the new company, it’s clear what valuable brands, IP, executives and customers they will each be bringing to the table on their first day as a combined entity.Founded in 1985, Discovery, Inc.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterDiscovery completed its $43 billion acquisition of WarnerMedia from AT&T on Friday to form new company Warner Bros. Discovery.WarnerMedia owns HBO, HBO Max, CNN, Warner Bros., DC Films, New Line Cinema, TBS, TNT, TruTV, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Turner Sports and Rooster Teeth, among other brands, and is part owner of the CW Network along with Paramount.Discovery is the parent of Discovery Plus, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, Turbo/Velocity, Animal Planet, Science Channel and OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network).Here is the new leadership structure for Warner Bros.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorWarnerMedia and Discovery are on the cusp of officially closing their deal. With the change in leadership at the new Warner Bros. Discovery, will there be pricing changes for the new conglomerate’s flagship HBO Max streaming service?Insiders say there aren’t any immediate plans to alter HBO Max’s pricing scheme — in the U.S., it currently costs $14.99/month without ads, the same as it did when the service debuted in May 2020, and $9.99/month with ads.Similarly, it’s likely that Discovery Plus will remain at $6.99/month without ads and $4.99/month with ads for the time being.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaAs Discovery closes its deal for WarnerMedia, John Stankey, the AT&T chief who oversaw the telecom company’s abandoned foray into the media world, bid farewell to his soon-to-be former colleagues. Stankey led AT&T’s acquisition of DirecTV and Time Warner in 2015 and 2018, before replacing Randall Stephenson as CEO role of AT&T in July 2020.“My respect and appreciation for those I have worked closely with is enduring, and I will miss continuing to learn and problem solve with you,” Stankey wrote.

Among the leadership announcements, Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich, HBO/HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys, and Warner Television chairman Channing Dungey will continue in their respective roles, reporting to Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

The hello tour for the Discovery and WarnerMedia merger is set to begin as early as Monday, Deadline hears, with multiple meet and greets planned across the country that will culminate with a town hall later in the week.

Ahead of tomorrow’s expected close of the $43 billion WarnerMedia-Discovery merger, the executive leadership structure of the new company has been set.

EXCLUSIVE, UPDATED WITH MORE DETAILS: Less than 24 hours after CEO Jason Kilar, HBO Max boss Andy Forssell and Studio chief Ann Sarnoff were pink slipped from the about to disappear WarnerMedia, more executives were shown the door today.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterDiscovery is cleaning house among the top ranks at WarnerMedia ahead of the close of the two companies’ merger, which is expected to occur Friday, with six more executives shown the door Wednesday, Variety has learned.According to a WarnerMedia spokesperson, the newly cut WarnerMedia players include: Jennifer Biry – Chief Financial Officer, Jim Cummings – EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer; Tony Goncalves – EVP, Chief Revenue Officer; Christy Haubegger – EVP, Communications and Chief Inclusion Officer;  Jim Meza – EVP, General Counsel, WarnerMedia; and Richard Tom – Chief Technology Officer.Notably remaining with the soon-to-be-combined company, which will be renamed Warner Bros. Discovery and run by current Discovery CEO David Zaslav, is Gerhard Zeiler, president of WarnerMedia International, a source close to the internal leadership changes confirmed to Variety.

previously reported would be expected to kick off his tenure with in many ways a clean sweep of the top executives and replace with his own execs. More to come…

In a bloodbath Tuesday at WarnerMedia before the Discovery merger, add HBO Max Head Andy Forssell to the list of exiting executives. He joins WarnerMedia studios and networks group chairman and CEO Ann Sarnoff and WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar.

HBO Max executive vice president and general manager Andy Forssell is leaving WarnerMedia ahead of the close of the company’s merger with Discovery, which is now set to close as early as Friday, Variety has learned.News that Forssell is out the door comes just as sources confirmed WarnerMedia studios and networks group chairman and CEO Ann Sarnoff was informed on Tuesday by leadership that her position would be eliminated, and follows WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar’s resignation this morning.As Variety reported earlier Tuesday, though insiders previously said the transaction between Discovery and WarnerMedia’s current owner AT&T would be formally completed on April 11, leading to the creation of new company Warner Bros. Discovery, two sources with knowledge of the situation say the merger is now expected to potentially be finalized by the close of business Friday.

Ann Sarnoff, who has held a senior film and TV studio role at WarnerMedia for nearly three years, is departing the company ahead of its merger with Discovery.

WarnerMedia studios and networks group chairman and CEO Ann Sarnoff is exiting her post, sources tell Variety.Sarnoff was informed by leadership on Tuesday that her position would be eliminated, one insider said. The ground is shifting rapidly for executives and other divisions at the media giant as it nears completion of its merger with Discovery.“I want to thank Ann for all of her leadership during a transformational period for the company and our industry. She has been a passionate and committed steward of the world’s most formidable creative engine and has led with integrity, focus and hard work in bringing WarnerMedia’s businesses, brands and workforce closer together,” said David Zaslav, the incoming CEO of the merged Warner Bros.

Ann Sarnoff, chairman and CEO at WarnerMedia’s studios and networks, is also exiting her post, individuals with knowledge told TheWrap. Sarnoff will be departing her current role effective at the closing of the proposed combination of Discovery, Inc.