Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav expects company to split in April 2026

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) CEO David Zaslav expects the split into two companies to take effect in April 2026.

Three years after the $43bn merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery closed in 2022, the media giant is separating into two companies – the Warner Bros streaming and studios business, and Discovery Global housing the global networks.

Zaslav will serve as president and CEO of the former, which comprises Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, Warner Bros Television, HBO, HBO Max and Warner Bros Gaming Studios, as well as the group’s film and television libraries.

Current WBD COO Gunnar Wiedenfels will become president and CEO of Discovery Global that will include CNN, TNT Sports in the United States, Discovery, the group’s free-to-air channels across Europe, and the Discovery+ streaming service.

Since the 2022 merger closed, the WBD share price has dropped by as much as 60%.

Speaking at Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference in San Francisco, Zaslav also noted that he anticipated HBO Max subscribers would reach 150million next year, possibly higher, and there will be price hikes. He lamented that there were too many services in the marketplace offering shows of varying quality.

• Meta exec joins Paramount as chief product officer