News

Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd) has hired an original productions chief for Max in Italy and Iberia, an intriguing move that completes the local content team ahead of the streaming service’s launch in Europe next year.

Alberto Carullo has been named Vice President Max Local Original Production Italy & Iberia, reporting directly to Laura Carafoli, SVP, Content Networks & Streaming Local Productions, Italy & Iberia.

Max is due to launch in 22 European countries in 2024. Those such as Iberia that already offer HBO Max will be the first tranche of countries to get the platform.

No date has been given for a launch in Italy, where Wbd has an output deal with Sky Italia for HBO content. This is due to end in 2025, and a Wbd spokesman confirmed Max cannot launch in the country while the current agreement is in place. Similar situations are facing Max in the UK and Germany.

Carullo, whose main base will be in Madrid,...

Warner Bros. Discovery international president Gerhard Zeiler has unveiled an expanded global remit for David Decker, the conglomerate’s president of content sales as the company continues to streamline and fine-tune its organization.

“David will, besides his domestic remit, oversee global opportunities for content licensing to major platform clients, like Netflix, Amazon, Roku and Paramount who operate worldwide,” he wrote in a staff memo on Friday.

Phil Goodhew, senior vp, commercial strategy, international TV distribution, and Allan Stenhouse, senior vp, international TV marketing, will now both report to Decker, Zeiler wrote, explaining: “Phil and Allan will work closely with the international leadership and local licensing teams, from a commercial strategy and marketing perspective, and will ensure a smooth operating rhythm and information flow across all the sales teams.”

The new structure for the content licensing team follows the July announcement that Robert Blair, president of Wbd International TV Distribution, would be leaving the company.

In the past few minutes, Warner Bros Discovery has set out plans for its new look international sales team following Robert Blair’s exit.

Wbd International President Gerhard Zeiler sent an internal memo revealing the new Wbd International TV Distribution structure, which will be in place following next week’s Mipcom.

This follows Zeiler’s conversations with Wbd’s international licensing teams, including those from the long-serving Blair’s team, local units and U.S. execs on the future shape of the sales division.

The resulting restructure will see Phil Goodhew, SVP Commercial Strategy, International TV Distribution and Allan Stenhouse, SVP International TV Marketing, now reporting to David Decker, President of Content Sales. The pair will work closely with International leadership and local licensing teams from both a commercial strategy and marketing perspective, to “ensure a smooth operating rhythm and information flow across all the sales teams,” wrote Zeiler.

Decker,...

Warner Bros. Discovery Germany boss Hannes Heyelmann has become the latest to exit from Gerhard Zeiler’s international team.

In an internal note sent out earlier today, Zeiler said “a final decision about the future leadership in the region” will be made in the coming weeks, with Heyelmann, who has been with the company for two decades, set to stay on till October.

Heyelmann originally joined Turner in Atlanta, quickly rising to SVP, MD for Central and Eastern Europe and International Original Programming Strategy and then EVP Programming, Emea for WarnerMedia.

He was made EVP, General Manager for Germany, Switzerland and Austria last year when the team was restructured into territory blocks after the merger.

“I am extremely grateful to Hannes for his contribution and leadership in one of our most important, complex, and exciting regions, which as you know is close to my heart,” said Zeiler.

“And while it...

Hannes Heyelmann, Warner Bros. Discovery executive VP and general manager for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, has stepped down from his role.

The move comes after Warner Bros. Discovery Emea boss Priya Dogra left the company after almost 14 years last month. Dogra’s departure came just weeks after the exit of Robert Blair, president of international TV distribution, who left the company after 25 years. Dogra and Blair’s roles were not replaced.

In an internal memo to staff seen by Variety, Gerhard Zeiler, Wbd’s international president, wrote:

“When we launched the newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery in April last year, we did so with the ambition to be a top global entertainment company and we are making good progress towards our goals.

In reviewing our plans for Emea moving forward, Hannes Heyelmann has advised me of his decision to resign from his role of EVP, General Manager for Germany, Switzerland,...

More change at Warner Bros. Discovery (Wbd), with UK and Ireland boss Antonio Ruiz having exited to be replaced by Andrew Georgiou.

Ruiz quietly left some months ago to return to Spain, while Georgiou has had his role expanded. He remains Managing Director of Wbd Sports Europe, which operates both Eurosport across Europe and newly-rebranded TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland.

The news comes just days after Emea boss Priya Dogra announced her exit and several weeks after long-serving TV distribution boss Robert Blair did the same.

Georgiou joined then-Discovery as President of Eurosport in 2019 from Lagardère Sports and Entertainment, where he was CEO, and has risen up the ranks.

He will helm the company in the crucial region with multiple TV channel brands including Discovery, TLC, Quest, Quest Red, Really, Cartoon Network, Eurosport and the newly launched TNT Sports as well as streamer Discovery+. He also has responsibility for consumer products,...

London-based exec was appointed last year.

Priya Dogra, Warner Bros Discovery’s president and manager director for Emea, is to leave the business later this year.

Her departure comes just over a year after she was appointed to the role following the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. London-based Dogra previously held the same position at WarnerMedia.

Warner Bros Discovery’s Emea leadership team will now report directly to Warner Bros. Discovery president of international Gerhard Zeiler.

Zeiler informed staff of Dogra’s departure in a memo this afternoon (August 8), acknowledging it would “come as a surprise to many, especially because...

Less than 16 months after she was promoted to the role of president and managing director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Warner Bros. Discover as part of its major post-merger leadership shuffles, seasoned exec Priya Dogra is now exiting the company.

Dogra’s departure was announced by international president Gerhard Zeiler in an internal memo seen by The Hollywood Reporter in which he cited continued efforts to “evolve our company in response to significant changes in our industry.”

Zeiler — who said the decision was “mutual agreed” upon by himself and Dogra, who has been with Warner Bros. for nearly 14 years — acknowledged that the news would “come as a surprise to many, especially because Priya has been a key partner to me and has been instrumental in many important developments at our company during her tenure.”

Dogra — who spoke to journalists ahead of a Barbie screening in London just...

Warner Bros. Discovery Emea boss Priya Dogra is exiting the company after 14 years in post and her role is being closed.

Dogra has been serving as President & Managing Director, Emea since the high-profile merger of Warner Media and Discovery. In an email to staff in the past few minutes, her boss Gerhard Zeiler said the pair had “mutually agreed” that she will leave at the end of this year. Zeiler’s full email, which was obtained by Deadline, can be read below.

Going forwards, the Emea team will report to Zeiler and Dogra will not be replaced. The Emea team is split into regions with the likes of Antonio Ruiz running UK and Ireland, Christina Sulebakk overseeing Nordics and Jamie Cooke looking after the Baltics, Middle East, Mediterranean and Turkey.

Zeiler said the news “will come as a surprise to many, especially because Priya has been a key partner to...

Tony Cornish.

Tony Cornish, Warner Bros. International Television’s VP sales for Asia-Pacific/South Asia, is leaving at the end of March after 19 years with the company.

Cornish is looking forward to pursuing new opportunities in the TV distribution business, telling If: “I have a lot of contacts globally.”

As part of a restructure, responsibilities for sales in his territories are being transferred to Jae H Chang, who has been promoted to senior VP for South-East Asian and Korean sales and will relocate from Korea to Singapore.

Earlier another long-serving WB exec, Malcolm Dudley-Smith, stepped down as general manager Asia, when oversight of the territories which reported to him, including China and Japan, shifted to Wbit Distribution president Robert Blair.

“Warner Bros. opens a lot of doors. It hasn’t been hard to sell series like Friends, Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory,” Cornish reflects. “The...

In today’s TV news roundup, Ava DuVernay’s “Cherish the Day” gets a first-look teaser, and the Apple TV Plus comedy from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s” Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day gets a premiere date.

Dates

Amazon Studios‘ “Russell Peters: Deported” premieres Jan. 14. The one-hour stand-up special stars comedian Russell Peters exploring life as a middle-aged father dealing with relationships and health issues. Clayton Peters, Paul Canterna, Brian Volk-Weiss and Cisco Henson executive produce alongside Peters. See a sneak peek below:

Apple TV Plus‘ “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet” from Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) premieres Feb. 7. The nine-episode comedy series follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game. Lionsgate, 3 Arts Entertainment Venture and Ubisoft produce.

First Looks

Own released a first-look teaser for its forthcoming anthology drama “Cherish the Day,“ created...

Warner Bros International Television Distribution is reshuffling its South East Asian sales operation with the promotion of Jae H. Chang and the departure of Tony Cornish.

Chang has been promoted to Senior Vice President, South East Asia and Korea Sales. He will move from Korea to Singapore to open an office in the country and expand his role to include the South East Asian region. He will continue to report to Robert Blair, President, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution.

Chang joined Wbitd in early 2008 and was promoted to Vice President, Television Sales in 2015.

“During Jae’s 12 years with our company, he has done a great job building our business in Korea and Asia. With this move to Singapore, he will be closer to our clients and located with our colleagues from WarnerMedia Entertainment-enabling us to better align our networks and content licensing business,” said Schlesinger. “We look forward to Jae...

Robert Blair, a longtime veteran of Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, has been promoted to president of the WarnerMedia division.

The move was announced by Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President of Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution.

Blair, who will continue to be based in London, will be responsible for the licensing of all TV, film and digital programming from Warner Bros., HBO and Turner across all TV platforms, from free to pay-tv and subscription VOD. He will also oversee sales teams based in 12 offices around the world.

“Robert’s smart, strategic and keen business acumen have contributed to make him an invaluable member of our international television business,” Schlesinger said. “He has played a vital role during a time of great disruption and evolution for our industry and will continue to play an even more vital role as we integrate HBO and Turner product into our distribution activities. This is truly a well-deserved promotion.