Warner Bros. Discovery to split into two companies, dividing cable, streaming services
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery will split into two public companies by next year, calving off cable operations from its streaming service as the number of people "cutting the cord" brings with it a sustained upheaval in the entertainment industry.
Warner Bros. Discovery said Monday that Streaming & Studios will include Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, and HBO Max, as well as their film and television libraries.
The Global Networks company will include CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., and Discovery, top free-to-air channels across Europe, and digital products such as the Discovery+ streaming service and Bleacher Report.
Shares jumped more than 7% before the market opened.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav will serve as CEO of Streaming & Studios. Gunnar Wiedenfels, chief financial officer of Warner Bros. Discovery, will serve as CEO of Global Networks. Both will continue in their current roles until the separation.
Just days ago Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders voted to reject the 2024 pay packages of some executives, including Zaslav's pay package of more than $51 million. The vote is symbolic, as it is nonbinding.
"By operating as two distinct and optimized companies in the future, we are empowering these iconic brands with the sharper focus and strategic flexibility they need to compete most effectively in today's evolving media landscape," Zaslav said in a statement.
Warner Bros. Discovery said in December that it was implementing a restructuring plan that would have Warner Bros. Discovery serve as the parent company for two operating divisions, Global Linear Networks and Streaming & Studios. The announcement was taken as a preview of the separation of divisions that was announced Monday.
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