Warner Bros. Discovery, incl. The owner of TVN announced on Monday to divide into two separate companies: Streaming & Studios and Global Networks. Both are to be recorded on the stock exchange, the operation is to be completed by mid -2026.
According to the concern, Warner Bros. will include Streaming & Studios. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, HBO Max, and television and film archives. TV channels, such as CNN, TNT Sports, Discovery, and digital products such as Discovery+streaming platform will go to Global Networks.
The president of the first company will be David Zwolav, current head of Warner Bros. Discovery. The second will be managed by Gunnar Wiedenfels, currently the Vice President of Finance for WBD.
“By acting in the future as two separate and optimized companies, we will strengthen iconic brands, providing them with strategic flexibility they need to compete as effectively in the changing situation of today's media,” said Swelav.
According to Viennafels, Global Networks will focus on innovative ways of cooperation with distribution partners for creating values for both traditional television and streaming content.
WBD predicts that The division will be completed by mid -2026, provided that the consent is obtained corporate and consent of American tax authorities. According to the concern, for the needs of the entire operation it will take out 17.5 billion of loans, which is to be repaid before the division. In addition, Global Networks will receive up to 20 percent. shares in Streaming & Studios, which will then cash to improve its balance.
Warner Bros Discovery was founded on April 8, 2022 as a result of the merger of Warnermedia and Discovery.
In 2023, the company generated $ 10 billion. EBITDA, had over $ 3.1 billion. losses, including over $ 1.5 billion losses on operating activities. In 2024, EBITDA amounted to $ 9 billion, and net loss $ 11.3 billion. The company ended the year with $ 5.4 billion. free cash and $ 40 billion debt.
WBD operates in three basic segments: television and film production studies, television networks as well as streaming services and paid premium television services.
In the studio segment, the company owns, among others Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, Warner Bros. Television Group, Consumer Products, Themed Entertainment and Brand Licensing, DC Comics Publishing, Content Licensing, Home Entertainment, Studio Operations, and Interactive Gaming.
The network segment is channels such as TNT, TBS, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, HGTV, Travel Channel, Science Channel, TLC. The global brand is CNN. The company also has a sports department, with channels such as Eurosport, with the right to transmission of the Olympic Games or, among others NBA and NHL league.
The segment of paid premium services are streaming services like Max, HBO Max, Discovery+or HBO. At the end of 2023, the company had almost 100 million subscribers in this segment, and at the end of 2024 over 116 million.
WBD also includes numerous copyright for films, television programs, mobile applications, etc. Among them, the rights to brands, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Harry Potter, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barber, Game of Thrones.
The WBD TVN is a commercial television station, broadcasting from October 1997 to 2015. It belonged to the ITI group, and then to Scripps Networks Interactive. In 2018, Scripps and TVN were taken over by Discovery, which later joined Warner Bros, creating WBD. (PAP)
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