Media, New York
Warner Bros. Discovery
New York · Founded April 2008
Quick read
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), a global media and entertainment company, was formed in April 2022 via the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc., and is operationally headquartered in New York. The company is mid-split: a TV-focused spin-off called Discovery Global is set to separate in Q3 2026, housing CNN, HBO, and cable brands, while the Warner Bros. streaming and studios half agreed in February 2026 to a $110 billion acquisition by Paramount Skydance. Its streaming business reached 140+ million subscribers by Q1 2026 and generated $1.4 billion in profit in 2025.
Key facts
- Founded
- April 2008
- Employees
- 17500
- Sectors
- consumer, healthcare
- Website
- www.wbd.com
Mission
Warner Bros. Discovery owns and distributes premium entertainment, news, and sports content across television, film, streaming, and gaming through brands including HBO, Max, CNN, DC Studios, Discovery, and Warner Bros.
Recent activity
- Jul 2026investmentA coalition of 12 U.S. states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington — filed a lawsuit to block the proposed Paramount Skydance acquisition of WBD. Oregon separately dropped its civil investigative demand after securing a federal delay. Paramount Skydance threatened to move its headquarters and pull $30B in annual spending out of California if the state proceeded. en.wikipedia.org
- Jun 2026investmentThe Austrian Federal Competition Authority said it expected to approve the Paramount-WBD deal by June 29, 2026. Paramount Skydance pushed back on a separate antitrust lawsuit, calling the complaint 'long on rhetoric and fearmongering.' en.wikipedia.org
- May 2026pressWBD held its 2026 upfront under the Discovery Global banner at Madison Square Garden on May 13. CEO David Zaslav did not appear on stage; advertising presidents Ryan Gould and Bobby Voltaggio led the presentation. Hollywood Reporter described the event as resembling 'a quiet farewell' given the pending Paramount Skydance acquisition. hollywoodreporter.com
- Mar 2026investmentParamount Skydance announced a definitive agreement to acquire WBD for $110.9 billion at $31 per share in cash on February 27, 2026. During a March 2 conference call, Paramount confirmed that Paramount+ and HBO Max would merge into a single streaming service after the deal closes. en.wikipedia.org
- Jan 2026investmentWBD's board unanimously rejected Paramount Skydance's amended tender offer — itself amended December 22, 2025 — as inferior to WBD's existing merger agreement with Netflix. The board reaffirmed its recommendation that shareholders support the Netflix combination. ir.wbd.com
- Dec 2025investmentNetflix and WBD announced a definitive merger agreement on December 5, 2025, under which Netflix would acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. The deal was later amended to an all-cash structure. rbr.com
- Jun 2025productWBD announced a plan to split into two separate publicly traded companies — 'Warner Bros.' (streaming, studios, HBO) led by David Zaslav, and 'Discovery Global' (linear networks, CNN, Discovery+) led by CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels — targeting completion by mid-2026. The split was subsequently shelved following the Paramount and Netflix acquisition bids. wbd.com
- Jan 2025leadershipWBD added Anthony Noto (CEO of SoFi Technologies, former Twitter COO) and Joey Levin (CEO of IAC) to its board of directors. deadline.com
- Mar 2026investmentWBD's board said it will review Paramount Skydance's latest hostile $30/share takeover bid — including a pledge to pay shareholders 25 cents per share (~$650M cash) per quarter if the deal isn't closed by Dec. 31, 2026 — before formally accepting or rejecting it. The board kept its existing Netflix merger recommendation in place while conducting the review. au.variety.com
- Mar 2026investmentWBD advised shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance's revised $108.4 billion hostile bid, calling it inferior to the Netflix deal. The board cited the Paramount offer's reliance on roughly $54 billion in new debt — the largest leveraged buyout ever attempted in media — as presenting unacceptable financial risk. whatstrending.com
- Jan 2026investmentNetflix submitted a revised all-cash acquisition bid for WBD's studio and streaming assets, valuing the deal at $82.7 billion. WBD's board backed the Netflix merger agreement over competing bids. barchart.com
- Jan 2026productWBD partnered with X and TikTok to distribute Olympic content across Europe ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games (Feb. 6–22). TikTok content targets younger audiences in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the UK via Eurosport and TNT Sports channels, monetized through TikTok's Pulse Premiere program. cordcuttersnews.com
Key people
Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.
- David Zaslav · CEO
- Clément Schwebig · Executive
- John Malone · Board Member / Shareholder
- Gunnar Wiedenfels · CFO
- Bruce Campbell · Chief Revenue & Strategy Officer
- Casey Bloys · Chairman & CEO, HBO & Max Content
- JB Perrette · CEO & President, Streaming & Gaming
Sources
- Paramount Skydance Secures $24 Billion From Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi Funds for Warner Bros. Deal
- Deadline: WBD selling to Paramount for $110 billion
- Warner Bros. Discovery Hires Adrienne O'Hara as Discovery Global's Head of Communications
- WBD Q2 2025 Financial Results Highlights
- Warner Bros. Discovery LinkedIn
- WBD 2026 Upfront at Madison Square Garden
- Paul Tudor Jones' Hedge Fund Buys 7 Million Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/narrowit_paramount-skydance-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery-activity-7467163400658137089-NSEs?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAGmakrkBBrgY_fi2HxDY0PZZJrzgiAZgzoo
- https://www.wbd.com/news/warner-bros-discovery-announces-post-separation-company-names-and-leadership-appointments
- https://smb.picayuneitem.com/article/Warner-Bros-Discovery-to-Report-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-2025-Results-on-Thursday-February-26?storyId=69975e8af3b9ec0450c8cb64
- https://x.com/WBDAdSales/status/1982927271079096798
- https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/warner-bros-discovery-sale-bids-paramount-netflix-comcast-1236586842/
- https://www.ibc.org/artificial-intelligence/news/warner-bros-discovery-sues-ai-platform-midjourney/22284
- https://au.variety.com/2026/biz/news/warner-bros-discovery-board-review-paramount-hostile-takeover-offer-32959/
- https://whatstrending.com/warner-bros-discovery-rejects-paramounts-latest-takeover-bid/
- https://www.barchart.com/story/news/37248624/warner-bros-discovery-stock-analyst-estimates-ratings
- https://cordcuttersnews.com/warner-bros-discovery-teams-up-with-x-tiktok-for-the-olympics/
- https://adgully.me/post/12838/warner-bros-discovery-sale-talks-intensify-as-second-round-offers-land
- https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1081965/warner-bros-discovery-q3-earnings-beat-revenue-misses-on-weak-streaming-growth-1081965.html
- https://cordcuttersnews.com/warner-bros-discovery-reportedly-goes-up-for-sale-at-auction-as-bidders-circle-media-giant/
- https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/warner-bros-discovery-axes-four-channels-amid-company-split.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros._Discovery
- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/warner-bros-discovery-upfront-funeral-no-david-zaslav-1236594826/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_acquisition_of_Warner_Bros._Discovery
- https://ir.wbd.com/news-and-events/financial-news/financial-news-details/2026/WARNER-BROS--DISCOVERY-BOARD-OF-DIRECTORS-UNANIMOUSLY-RECOMMENDS-SHAREHOLDERS-REJECT-AMENDED-PARAMOUNT-TENDER-OFFER/default.aspx
- https://rbr.com/tag/david-zaslav/
- https://www.wbd.com/news/warner-bros-discovery-separate-two-leading-media-companies
- https://deadline.com/2025/01/warner-bros-discovery-adds-former-twitter-executive-to-expanded-board-1236256891/
Other companies in United States
Frequently asked
What is Warner Bros. Discovery?+
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), a global media and entertainment company, was formed in April 2022 via the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc.
Where is Warner Bros. Discovery headquartered?+
Warner Bros. Discovery is headquartered in New York, United States.
When was Warner Bros. Discovery founded?+
Warner Bros. Discovery was founded in April 2008.
What sectors does Warner Bros. Discovery operate in?+
Warner Bros. Discovery focuses on consumer, healthcare. They primarily operate in these sectors.
Who is the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery?+
David Zaslav is the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery.
How do I prepare for a meeting with Warner Bros. Discovery?+
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