Which WBD assets are going where in company split?
Which WBD assets are going where in company split?
Confused about where you’ll find new episodes of ‘Hacks’ or NHL games when WBD splits into two companies? We’ll try to break it all down.
Warner Bros. Discovery is making a radical move in hopes of ensuring its future. The company announced on Monday that it planned to split into separate firms, with one focused on streaming and TV and movie production and the other centered on its cable networks. But the everyday viewer likely has plenty of questions about which assets owned by WBD are headed where, and we’ll try to help sort through the confusion here.
Key Details:
- Streaming & Studios: One of the two new WBD companies will be exclusively focused on streaming, movies, and TV.
- Global Networks: The new channel-focused company from WBD will also include some digital products.
- What about sports?: The future of WBD’s sports rights might be the hardest question to answer.
The first company that WBD intends to create with its split is currently being called Streaming & Studios. As outlined in the announcement of the break-up, Streaming & Studios will contain Warner Bros. Television, the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, D.C. Studios, HBO, and Max — soon to be HBO Max again. By appearances, these are the components that WBD feels have the best chance of long-term success.
The other company is currently known as Global Networks and will house free-to-air channels across Europe, digital products like discovery+ and Bleacher Report, and all WBD-owned cable channels. This list includes Animal Planet, Cartoon Network, CNN, Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Magnolia Network, TBS, TNT, and Travel Channel as well as other networks around the world.
Even with that information, there are still plenty of questions to answer about the split in the months ahead. For example, what will happen to shows from Discovery and other WBD cable channels that are now available to stream on Max? WBD CEO David Zaslav says that around 25% of Max viewership comes from Discovery network programming. Company CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels, who will head up Global Networks, says that the amount of content coming from those channels won’t drop significantly, but if another firm snatches up Discovery and its assets in the future, they may disappear from Max — though there are no currently announced plans to pull them from the streamer after the split.
The biggest question is what will happen to WBD’s sports rights. It appears these are headed to the Global Networks company, and Zaslav says that sports have never been a big viewership driver for Max. That could indicate that the company plans to shut down the Bleacher Report Sports Add-On that’s now available on ad-free tiers of the streamer. There has been no official announcement to indicate that’s the plan, but it would make sense; live sporting events like NHL regular season and playoff contests and College Football Playoff games might make TNT Sports more attractive to a prospective buyer.
The HBO shows you know and love, like “Hacks,” as well as library titles like “Game of Thrones” aren’t going anywhere; WBD’s TV and film library will remain with the Streaming & Studios company. However, things are still fluid, so keep an eye on The Streamable for more updates about the split, and tell us your thoughts on the decision to divide WBD in the comments below!
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.