AT&T’s WarnerMedia, Discovery to merge in blockbuster $43-billion deal
3 years, 7 months ago

AT&T’s WarnerMedia, Discovery to merge in blockbuster $43-billion deal

LA Times  

AT&T, which launched the HBO Max streaming service in 2020, announced a merger of its WarnerMedia entertainment assets, including HBO, with cable programming giant Discovery. AT&T’s WarnerMedia and Discovery unveiled their blockbuster $43-billion union Monday, a combination that would bring some of the biggest names in television — HBO, CNN, HGTV, Animal Planet and Food Network — and the Warner Bros. movie studio under one roof. “It’s such a historic company and a great set of assets and it fits so well with what we’ve built over the last 15 years that I’ve been at Discovery,” Zaslav said Monday in an interview with The Times. “AT&T’s balance sheet allowed neither the aggressive investment required for HBO Max nor the 5G wireless push,” veteran telecommunications analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a research report. Last year, Kilar angered top talent, including filmmaker Christopher Nolan, when he announced the studio would put its entire slate of 2021 movies on streaming platform HBO Max the same day they arrived in theaters.

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History of this topic

Warner Bros. Discovery strikes new distribution deal with Comcast
1 month ago

Warner Bros. Discovery strikes new distribution deal with Comcast

LA Times  

Discovery has taken steps to strengthen its economic footing with a major channel distribution deal. The company announced Monday that it had reached an agreement for cable giant Comcast Corp. to continue carrying Warner Bros. Discovery’s linear cable channels, including HBO, TNT, HGTV, Food Network, CNN and Animal Planet. The deal also expands Comcast’s ability to offer Warner Bros. Discovery’s …

Warner Bros Discovery CEO sees more industry deals under Trump
2 months ago

Warner Bros Discovery CEO sees more industry deals under Trump

Live Mint  

By Dawn Chmielewski and Harshita Mary Varghese - Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav anticipates a friendlier environment for deal-making under the incoming Trump administration, opening the door to industry consolidation, he said on Thursday. Warner Bros Discovery and its peers are navigating through what Zaslav described as a "generational disruption," confronting an erosion of its lucrative television business as …

Warner Bros. is in talks to merge with Paramount Global
1 year ago

Warner Bros. is in talks to merge with Paramount Global

Live Mint  

Discovery Inc. held talks on a possible merger with Paramount Global, potentially combining two of the biggest media companies in the world, according to people with knowledge of the matter. A combination of the companies would unite famous Hollywood properties, including the Paramount and Warner Bros. film and TV studios, and put a number of pay-TV and broadcast stations, such …

Warner Bros Discovery warns Hollywood strikes may impact film slate
1 year, 5 months ago

Warner Bros Discovery warns Hollywood strikes may impact film slate

Al Jazeera  

Some features and dramas Warner Bros Discovery is well known for are on ice for now with no end in sight to the strike. Warner Bros Discovery has warned that uncertainty over the dual strikes by Hollywood writers and actors could impact the timing of its film slate and its ability to produce and deliver content. This is a seminal …

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Zaslav takes conciliatory tone on striking actors and writers
1 year, 5 months ago

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Zaslav takes conciliatory tone on striking actors and writers

LA Times  

Discovery CEO David Zaslav attends the TIME100 Gala celebrating the 100 most influential people on June 8, 2022, in New York. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav expressed hope Thursday for a resolution in the strikes by the writers and actors that have brought TV and film production to a standstill. “I think all of us in in this business are …

What the End of HBO Max—and the Rise of ‘Max’—Means for Streaming
55 years ago

What the End of HBO Max—and the Rise of ‘Max’—Means for Streaming

Wired  

A year ago this week, one of the biggest mergers in history finally closed. And to keep it focused on theatrical releases, the company would merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into one monster streaming service. Even as they touted Max as a place with something for the whole family, they also, in the words of global streaming president JB Perrette, …

HBO Max to be renamed Max in a bid for a bigger streaming audience
1 year, 8 months ago

HBO Max to be renamed Max in a bid for a bigger streaming audience

LA Times  

Did the “HBO” sound too elite? Discovery is stripping “HBO” from the name of its streaming service, which now will simply be called Max, signaling a new era for the company’s digital ambitions. And the more that you ask the HBO brand to take on, with more programming, the further it stretches it.” The makeover is part of an effort …

HBO Max returns to Prime Video as Warner Bros. Discovery searches for revenue
2 years, 1 month ago

HBO Max returns to Prime Video as Warner Bros. Discovery searches for revenue

LA Times  

HBO’s “House of the Dragon” will soon return to Amazon Prime in the U.S. HBO Max is back on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S., a little more than a year after its departure. HBO Max’s return, announced Tuesday, signals parent company Warner Bros. Discovery’s nearly complete unwinding of AT&T’s business strategy during the Dallas telecommunications behemoth’s ownership of the …

David Zaslav defends Warner Bros. Discovery cuts: ‘We did not get rid of any show that was helping us’
2 years, 2 months ago

David Zaslav defends Warner Bros. Discovery cuts: ‘We did not get rid of any show that was helping us’

LA Times  

Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav addressed the significant cuts made at the company during the last six months, framing them as part of a fundamental “rethinking and reimagining” of how the media giant works as the entertainment industry endures a period of dramatic transformation. Since the April merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc., the combined firm has shed hundreds of …

Warner Bros. Discovery to spend more than $1 billion downsizing
2 years, 2 months ago

Warner Bros. Discovery to spend more than $1 billion downsizing

LA Times  

Discovery reports that it will incur up to $1.5 billion in costs to shrink the company, cancel programming and provide severance packages to laid-off workers, among other expenses. In a Securities & Exchange Commission filing Monday, the company warned that “the estimated cash expenditures from the organization restructuring, facility consolidation activities and other contract termination costs will be in the …

The Impending Demise of HBO Max, the Best Streaming Service
2 years, 5 months ago

The Impending Demise of HBO Max, the Best Streaming Service

Wired  

The Monitor is a weekly column devoted to everything happening in the WIRED world of culture, from movies to memes, TV to Twitter. Per the New York Post, one of the first outlets to report the movie’s demise on Tuesday, audiences at test screenings didn’t take to the film, and it was “irredeemable.” In an Instagram post, El Arbi and …

Warner Bros. Discovery stock drops after disappointing forecast
2 years, 5 months ago

Warner Bros. Discovery stock drops after disappointing forecast

LA Times  

Shares of Warner Bros. The New York-based company’s stock fell $2.73, or 16%, to $14.74 a share as Wall Street gave a cool response to the company’s second-quarter results, in the first full earnings report since WarnerMedia assets merged with Discovery Inc. in a $43-billion deal. Looking to 2023, the company cut its full-year profit guidance from $14 billion to …

Combined HBO Max and Discovery+ to launch in 2023 as Warner Bros. Discovery rejects AT&T strategy
2 years, 5 months ago

Combined HBO Max and Discovery+ to launch in 2023 as Warner Bros. Discovery rejects AT&T strategy

LA Times  

Discovery gave more details about its plan to combine streaming services HBO Max and Discovery+ into one offering, as the company seeks a more disciplined strategy to succeed in the streaming wars amid wild speculation about its future. At the same time, HBO Max is getting content from “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network starting next month, …

Warner Bros. Discovery is shutting down CNN’s streaming service less than a month after launch
2 years, 8 months ago

Warner Bros. Discovery is shutting down CNN’s streaming service less than a month after launch

LA Times  

Chris Wallace has an interview show on CNN+ four nights a week. Discovery, new management announced Thursday it is pulling the plug on CNN’s $5.99-a-month streaming service. “In a complex streaming market, consumers want simplicity and an all-in service, which provides a better experience and more value than stand-alone offerings.” The decision to cut bait on CNN+ so quickly comes …

Trading starts of new Warner Bros. Discovery media giant
2 years, 8 months ago

Trading starts of new Warner Bros. Discovery media giant

Associated Press  

Shares of the new Warner Bros. The bulked-up company combines the owner of storied film studio Warner Bros., TV networks including CNN, HBO and the streaming service HBO Max, with Discovery Inc., the parent of networks that focus on reality television like HGTV and its own streaming service, Discovery+. AT&T Inc. last year decided to separate WarnerMedia as the company …

With Discovery merger, can David Zaslav restore Warner Bros. to its former glory?
2 years, 9 months ago

With Discovery merger, can David Zaslav restore Warner Bros. to its former glory?

LA Times  

Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav is interviewed in New York by host Maria Bartiromo on the Fox Business Network in 2018. Warner executives have prided themselves on creating prestige television, such as HBO’s “Succession” and “Euphoria,” and epic movies including “Batman v. Superman” and “The Matrix.” By contrast, Discovery’s popular fare is nonfiction and lower-budget : Think “90 Day Fiancé,” …

WarnerMedia-Discovery deal: AT&T gets favorable IRS ruling
3 years ago

WarnerMedia-Discovery deal: AT&T gets favorable IRS ruling

LA Times  

AT&T is spinning off WarnerMedia, with its shareholders owning 71% and Discovery shareholders 29% of Warner Bros. AT&T said it received a “favorable” ruling from the IRS, signaling that the deal to combine WarnerMedia with Discovery would be tax-free for shareholders. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav called it “a key milestone toward completing our proposed transaction with AT&T.” “Today we …

Congress members blast proposed Discovery-WarnerMedia merger
3 years, 1 month ago

Congress members blast proposed Discovery-WarnerMedia merger

LA Times  

More than 30 Democrats have sent a letter to Atty. Gen. Jonathan Kanter, the lawmakers said the proposed consolidation “raises significant antitrust concerns” and warranted increased scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division, which Kanter now heads. Monday’s letter represents the first major pushback against the deal in the U.S. “The merger threatens to enhance the market power …

Theaters or HBO Max? Warner Bros. movie plans take shape as Discovery merger looms
3 years, 7 months ago

Theaters or HBO Max? Warner Bros. movie plans take shape as Discovery merger looms

LA Times  

On Dec. 3, Warner Bros. — the 98-year-old studio known for such gems as “Casablanca” and “The Dark Knight” — stunned Hollywood by announcing its entire 2021 film lineup would be available on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day in the U.S., where theaters were hobbled by the coronavirus. But as the $43-billion Discovery merger ambles toward …

Warner Bros. Discovery is Hollywood’s newest media giant, but challenges loom
3 years, 7 months ago

Warner Bros. Discovery is Hollywood’s newest media giant, but challenges loom

LA Times  

Two weeks after AT&T announced it was spinning off WarnerMedia to the much smaller Discovery, executives flocked to the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank for a glimpse of their future — and the man who would lead them there. Even after the merger, an estimated 80% of Warner Bros. Discovery’s pre-tax earnings in 2024 will still be tied to its …

AT&T's deal with Discovery shows they made a 'terrible' mistake in buying Time Warner
3 years, 7 months ago

AT&T's deal with Discovery shows they made a 'terrible' mistake in buying Time Warner

Daily Mail  

John Stankey said on Tuesday he is 'sad and disappointed' his attempt to take AT&T intro streaming didn't work AT&T CEO John Stankey said on Tuesday he is 'sad' and 'disappointed' that his attempt to take the company into the media streaming business didn't pay off. It was high in 2016 and 2019, before the pandemic, but has not recovered …

WarnerMedia, Discovery merge assets: All you need to know about the deal, and future of their streaming services
3 years, 7 months ago

WarnerMedia, Discovery merge assets: All you need to know about the deal, and future of their streaming services

Firstpost  

From the implications of the merger on HBO Max and Discovery+, to potential layoffs at WarnerMedia and Discovery, a comprehensive guide to the mammoth deal. It’s as if Logan Roy, the fictional patriarch of the Waystar Royco media empire on HBO’s popular series Succession, masterminded the deal himself: AT&T has thrown in the towel on its media business and decided …

Discovery, AT&T’s WarnerMedia announce they'll merge media businesses to create standalone company in landmark deal
3 years, 7 months ago

Discovery, AT&T’s WarnerMedia announce they'll merge media businesses to create standalone company in landmark deal

Firstpost  

WarnerMedia and Discovery both launched their own streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+, within the past two years. It’s still not clear whether the merger will result in a single streaming service or several bundled together, The merger of Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia operations, marrying the likes of HBO and CNN with HGTV and Oprah Winfrey, is another illustration of …

AT&T’s WarnerMedia will merge with Discovery. Is a great re-bundling at hand?
3 years, 7 months ago

AT&T’s WarnerMedia will merge with Discovery. Is a great re-bundling at hand?

LA Times  

With the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, many expect HBO Max and Discovery+ to combine into a super-service. And now that most major media companies have launched their own over-the-top apps, the industry is reckoning with the realities that: 1) using entertainment content to sell mobile phones may not make sense, 2) competing with Netflix and Disney is extremely expensive, …

Oprah and CNN: AT&T is merging media business with Discovery
3 years, 7 months ago

Oprah and CNN: AT&T is merging media business with Discovery

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The merger of Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia operations, marrying the likes of HBO and CNN with HGTV and Oprah Winfrey, is another illustration of the head-spinning speed in which streaming has transformed the media world. “I think, together, the combination makes us the best media company in the world,” said Zaslav, who will run the new company …

AT&T to spin off and combine WarnerMedia with Discovery in deal that would create streaming giant
3 years, 7 months ago

AT&T to spin off and combine WarnerMedia with Discovery in deal that would create streaming giant

CNN  

New York CNN Business — The streaming TV race is about to get even more competitive. “AT&T would receive $43 billion in a combination of cash, debt securities, and WarnerMedia’s retention of certain debt,” Monday’s announcement said. At the time, Zaslav told CNN that discovery+ was a “great complement to someone who has Disney or Netflix, or HBO, Disney and …

Why you should care about Discovery and WarnerMedia merging
3 years, 7 months ago

Why you should care about Discovery and WarnerMedia merging

CNN  

New York CNN Business — Discovery is an iconic brand in the cable world, as are CNN and HBO. Discovery said on Monday that the new company, which is still yet to be named, will “own one of the deepest libraries in the world with nearly 200,000 hours of iconic programming” and bring together over 100 brands. But in this …

AT&T to spin off HBO, other WarnerMedia assets in a huge deal with Discovery. What went wrong?
3 years, 7 months ago

AT&T to spin off HBO, other WarnerMedia assets in a huge deal with Discovery. What went wrong?

LA Times  

John Stankey, president and chief operating officer of AT&T and chief executive of WarnerMedia, is shown in 2019 in Burbank. Three years ago, AT&T Inc. marched into Hollywood with big ambitions to be a 21st century media colossus, connecting its booming cellphone business with legendary media properties — HBO, the Warner Bros. film and TV studio and Turner channels including …

AT&T selling a stake in DirecTV ends an infamous saga
3 years, 10 months ago

AT&T selling a stake in DirecTV ends an infamous saga

CNN  

New York CNN Business — AT&T on Thursday sold a minority stake in its video business to private equity firm TPG. “It’s not like people at the time didn’t see cord-cutting coming.” AT&T and TPG will create a new company called “New DirecTV.” Following the close of the transaction, AT&T will own 70% of the new venture, which the company …

AT&T chief defends HBO Max after Christopher Nolan calls it the ‘worst’
4 years, 1 month ago

AT&T chief defends HBO Max after Christopher Nolan calls it the ‘worst’

LA Times  

AT&T Inc. Chief Executive John Stankey on Tuesday defended the company’s industry-shaking decision to put Warner Bros.’ entire 17-film slate on the streaming service HBO Max next year, saying it “needed to try something different” to respond to the pandemic. “But I think ultimately rational parties will step back and look at this and say giving theater owners a predictable …

HBO Max set for May 27 launch, initial lineup announced
4 years, 8 months ago

HBO Max set for May 27 launch, initial lineup announced

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The streaming service HBO Max will launch May 27, AT&T’s WarnerMedia announced Tuesday, signalling that the so-called streaming wars won’t subside because of the coronavirus pandemic. WarnerMedia had earlier said HBO Max would debut sometime in May, and it stuck to those plans Tuesday even if some of its planned programming has already been postponed due to …

AT&T to launch HBO Max streaming service to go head on against Disney and Netflix
5 years, 2 months ago

AT&T to launch HBO Max streaming service to go head on against Disney and Netflix

Firstpost  

The success of HBO Max is in many ways a referendum on a strategy to merge content with the means to distribute it. AT&T Inc in May will launch its HBO Max streaming service with a new Game of Thrones series at the current HBO price of $15 a month in an aggressive move to battle Netflix, Disney and Apple …

HBO Max goes ‘all in’ on its big genre-driven streaming bet
5 years, 2 months ago

HBO Max goes ‘all in’ on its big genre-driven streaming bet

CNN  

Los Angeles CNN Business — With spotlights shining on soon-to-debut streaming services from Apple and Disney, WarnerMedia sought Tuesday to offer audiences a reminder: Set aside a few bucks for us. The AT&T-owned company picked the week of Apple TV+’s underwhelming launch to unveil details regarding HBO Max, its premium-priced entry into the streaming universe, which — like Disney+ — …

With HBO Max, AT&T is launching a streaming service that ‘a lot of people said couldn’t be done’
5 years, 2 months ago

With HBO Max, AT&T is launching a streaming service that ‘a lot of people said couldn’t be done’

CNN  

New York CNN Business — AT&T is about to introduce the world to HBO Max. The launch of a new subscription video streaming service was a keystone in AT&T’s $85 billion deal for Time Warner, CNN’s parent company. “You’re going to see the result of something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done when we did the Time …

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