WARNERMEDIA RESTRUCTURES EXECUTIVE TEAM; GREENBLATT AND REILLY TO STEP DOWN

AT&T-owned WarnerMedia will restructure its executive team surrounding HBO Max. Streaming Executive, Andy Forssell lead a new HBO Max operating business unit, according to CEO Jason Kilar, who also announced layoffs and the departure of some top executives. Bob Greenblatt and Kevin Reilly are scheduled to exit the company. 

The change marks the first major executive change under the recently appointed CEO. HBO Max and its direct-to-consumer delivery mechanism are central to WarnerMedia’s primary focus. “This group will oversee all WarnerMedia television series and motion picture development, production and programming, partnering with Andy [Forssell] to ensure HBO Max is successful globally,” Kilar said.

Warner Bros. Chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff will lead a new Warner Bros. studios and networks group combining original production for Warner Bros. HBO, HBO Max, TNT, TBS, and truTV. Casey Bloys, formerly HBO programming president, will oversee original content for HBO Max as well as TNT, TBS, and truTV and report to Sarnoff. Jeffrey R. Schlesinger President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution; Ron Sanders, President, Worldwide Theatrical Distribution & Home Entertainment and EVP, International Business Operations, and Kim Williams, EVP and Chief Financial Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment, also form part of the team realignment.

Greenblatt and Reilly oversaw the launch of the streamer. Neither Greenblatt nor Reilly lasted long once Kilar was named CEO of WarnerMedia on  1st May 2020. Greenblatt became chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment in March 2019 after leaving his job as chairman of NBC Entertainment in September 2018. Reilly has been with Turner, which is owned by WarnerMedia, since coming on board in 2014 as president of TNT and TBS and chief content officer for Turner Entertainment.  Kilar thanked them “for getting us to this point with the integration of HBO and the legacy Turner Networks and launch of HBO Max.”  Additional downstream layoffs at the company are expected in the following days.