Will Warner-Discovery Merger Mean More Choices, Or Pricey Bundles?
May 21, 2021
In a move that will reverberate in Hollywood and streaming media for years to come, AT&T announced Monday it plans to spin off WarnerMedia into a new entertainment company led by Discovery CEO David Zaslov. This has sweeping implications for family entertainment.
Iconic brands such as Warner Bros. Pictures, TNT Sports, boundary-pushing TV network HBO, and consistently low-rated CNN will move under the same corporate roof as Discovery’s lifestyle and nature TV shows like “Property Brothers,” “90 Day Fiancé,” and “Shark Week.”
The deal, expected to clear regulatory approval next year, will result in job losses as roles are consolidated. But the effects on consumer choices and streaming costs are unclear. Formerly an NBC executive who worked alongside newly christened Warner Discovery CEO Zaslov, Tim Winter now heads up the Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) in Burbank.