HBO MAX TAPS AMIT MALHOTRA TO LEAD SOUTHEAST ASIAN AND INDIAN OPERATIONS

WarnerMedia has named Amit Malhotra Managing Director for HBO Max in Southeast Asia and India. “With our upcoming launch across Latin America on June 29 and our plans for Europe on the horizon, we turn our sights toward Asia, where we have an incredible opportunity to bring HBO Max to millions of new fans who are just as excited about streaming as our audiences in the U.S," Head of HBO Max Johannes Larcher said.

Malhotra will be responsible for the rollout and management of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer platform in Southeast Asia. He will immediately assume responsibility for the management of HBO GO, WarnerMedia’s existing OTT streaming service available in eight territories across Southeast Asia. In the future, he will spearhead the introduction of HBO Max in these territories and will lead WarnerMedia’s exploration of future opportunities to launch the streaming platform in additional markets, as well as a potential future launch in India. He will report to Johannes Larcher, Head of HBO Max International. "Amit’s experience launching streaming services in both mature and emerging markets across Southeast Asia and the surrounding region make him the ideal leader to plan and oversee the rollout of HBO Max and its expanded content offering and platform experience,” Larcher said.

The service has garnered much success since it launch, including 11.1M HBO/HBO Max subscribers in the U.S. as of the end of this year's first quarter. The platform will debut in 39 additional regions across Latin American and the Caribbean at the end of this month. By the end of this year, it is expected to reach 61 markets worldwide, including Asian locations such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Malhotra will also be responsible for exploring possible opportunities to launch HBO Max in new and fast-growing Asian streaming markets such as India. The HBO Max team in Southeast Asia will build on the partnership with Clement Schwebig, Managing Director, India, Southeast Asia, and Korea for WarnerMedia, and members of his team. "WarnerMedia’s brands including DC Universe, HBO, and Cartoon Network are extremely popular with passionate fans and audiences across this region,” Amit Malhotra said. “With a focus on consumers, our goal will be to bring all of these brands and content together in an exciting new world-class streaming experience as we move into the future with HBO Max.”

Malhotra most recently served as Regional Lead for Disney+ in Southeast Asia, where he was responsible for overseeing the launch and operations of Disney’s streaming services in the region, including Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar, and Hotstar. He also led the Content Sales and Distribution division as part of The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) business in South APAC and the Middle East. David Simonsen will work alongside Malhotra to strengthen the company's direct-to-consumer efforts.