"But he elevated himself to moguldom in 2021, crafting a mega merger between Discovery, home to hit shows including 90 Day Fiance and Naked and Afraid, with WarnerMedia, home to HBO, the premier cable channel; the CNN news network; and Warner Bros, the legendary movie studio behind hit movies from Harry Potter and The Dark Knight to Casablanca and The Exorcist."
"Such esteemed pillars of media are better and more valuable together, Zaz claimed as the plan for Warner Bros Discovery was unveiled. It is super exciting to combine such historic brands, world-class journalism and iconic franchises under one roof and unlock so much value and opportunity. We believe everyone wins, he declared promising great returns for Hollywood producers and stars; investors on Wall Street, and beyond; and fans and viewers around the world."
David Zaslav rose from NBC to transform Discovery Inc from a nature- and science-focused cable broadcaster into a reality-TV giant. In 2021 he engineered a mega-merger combining Discovery with WarnerMedia, bringing HBO, CNN, and Warner Bros under one company. The merger promised synergies, greater scale, and benefits for Hollywood producers, stars, investors, and viewers. By December 2025, 55 months after announcement and 44 months after completion, those promises had largely gone unrealized: Hollywood operators faced cost cuts and box-office challenges, shareholders saw steep stock declines and balance-sheet struggles, and viewers landed with an uncertain streaming offering.
#david-zaslav #warner-bros-discovery-merger #streaming-consolidation #shareholder-and-box-office-performance
Read at www.theguardian.com
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