JASON KILAR NAMED NEW CEO OF WARNERMEDIA

Former Hulu Chief Jason Kilar has been appointed as CEO of Warner Media, making him responsible for overseeing Warner Bros., HBO, the Turner cable assets and the company’s nascent HBO Max streaming platform. Killar succeeds John Stankey, who was selected as AT&T’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “Jason is a dynamic executive with the right skill set to lead WarnerMedia into the future,” said Stankey. “His experience in media and entertainment, direct-to-consumer video streaming and advertising is the perfect fit for WarnerMedia, and I am excited to have him lead the next chapter of WarnerMedia’s storied success. Our team led by Bob Greenblatt, Ann Sarnoff, Gerhard Zeiler, and Jeff Zucker has done an amazing job establishing our brands as leaders in the hearts and minds of consumers. Adding Jason to the talented WarnerMedia family as we launch HBO Max in May gives us the right management team to strategically position our leading portfolio of brands, world-class talent and a rich library of intellectual property for future growth”.

Along with the announcement of Kilar’s appointment, Stankey also reaffirmed AT&T’s plan to launch HBO Max in May. That target date was set before the coronavirus pandemic up-ended business activity in the U.S. and around the globe. WarnerMedia is believed to be targeting a late May debut date.

Kilar was CEO of Hulu from the moment it launched in 2007 until 2013. He left amid reports of conflicts with its owners, which by then included Disney, about the future direction of the company. Disney now controls Hulu outright following its acquisition of 21st Century Fox last year and a buyout agreement set with NBCUniversal last May. He also served in several leadership positions at Amazon, including SVP from 1997 to 2006, as well as SVP of Worldwide Application Software.

Kilar was also Co-founder and CEO of Vessel from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, he served as a board member at DreamWorks Animation from 2013-2016 and Univision Communications from 2016 to 2020. Kilar’s name had surfaced as a contender for the job several weeks ago. His choice is another sign that WarnerMedia parent company AT&T sees streaming as the big future earnings driver for WarnerMedia. He will formally take the job on 1 May and report to Stankey. “In partnership with this world-class team, I’m so excited for the opportunity to lean into the future at WarnerMedia,” said Kilar. “Stories well told have always mattered, and they matter even more in this challenging time for the world. It will be a privilege to invent, create, and serve with so many talented people. May 1st can’t get here soon enough.”