Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of HBO Max, CNN and TNT, announced Monday it would split into two companies by the middle of next year, the latest move by a major media conglomerate to reckon with a fracturing audience landscape.
The split will see one company house Warner’s studios and streaming units, which include HBO Max, the DC Comics universe, and film production and distribution. That group will be led by WBD CEO David Zaslav. The other will comprise WBD’s TV networks, such as CNN and Discovery, and will be led by Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels. That company will also take on most of WBD’s existing debt.