WarnerMedia chief Jason Kilar resigns

WarnerMedia chief Jason Kilar is resigning, he told staff in a note sent Tuesday.

Why it matters: The move comes ahead of WarnerMedia's pending merger with Discovery, which is expected to close this month. Kilar's departure has been anticipated ever since the merger was first announced last year.

• "With the pending transaction with Discovery nearing close, now is the right time to share with each of you that I will be departing this amazing company," he said.

The big picture: Kilar ran WarnerMedia during a pivotal time. He oversaw the launch of the company's streaming service HBO Max, and through an aggressive strategy to release all of Warner Bros. movies on the platform and in theaters at the same time in 2021, HBO Max hit its subscriber goals early.

• He made the ultimate decision to force CNN head Jeff Zucker to resign earlier this year.
• In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Kilar addressed the situation saying, "being a leader is not a popularity contest."

Go deeper: Discovery shareholders approve WarnerMedia merger