Warner Bros. Discovery Commissioning Strategy Under Review in United Kingdom; Is Zaslav Sharpening the Knife Again?
The saga of last year's content cuts at HBO Max was a long and gruesome tale. From kids’ favorites like “Sesame Street” to prestige titles like “Westworld,” no genre was completely safe from the savings-hungry eye of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. That’s why it was such a relief for many viewers to hear in early January that the content cuts were over in the United States.
But the era of extreme cost-cutting might not be finished across the pond. That’s according to a report from Variety, which states that WBD’s commissioning and editorial strategy in the United Kingdom is under review by executives. The review could lead to changes in premiere dates and operational shifts, and — if those don’t work — more drastic measures such as content cuts may be the next step.
The reviews will affect shows that have already been greenlit, which must make some producers nervous indeed. After all, WBD is the same company that decided to cancel the release of “Batgirl” in 2022, despite the movie being essentially a finished product in favor of a tax write-down. WBD shut down production of originals in Europe as part of its cost-saving measures last year, but this new review could affect both linear and streaming content from the company in the U.K. HBO content is distributed by British broadcaster Sky in that country, while discovery+ is offered to European customers much like it is in the U.S.
The review of U.K. content from WBD is a reflection of the generally-down U.K. broadcasting market. Several other British broadcasters have acknowledged they’re being extremely careful about their budgets, as economic conditions are combining with a soft ad market that is expected to dip another 10% to 20% in the coming months. That adds up to less revenue for TV providers, which means less money to spread around for new shows.
The news comes against the backdrop of WBD getting set to launch its new streaming platform Max on May 23. Max will not be launching in the U.K., but it will roll out in several European territories in 2024. The service will integrate most of the unscripted content from discovery+ onto HBO Max, with technical updates to the user interface.
After months of difficult decisions with its streaming platforms in the U.S., WBD reported a small profit of $50 million from its streaming segment in the first quarter of 2023. Potential programming alterations like content cuts are understandably disappointing from the audience’s perspective, but the success WBD has seen from using such a strategy means it’s unlikely to spare the axe if it feels a financial gain will result.
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