Warner Bros. Discovery announces post-split company names
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Signage at the Warner Bros. Discovery headquarters in New York. Photo: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Warner Bros. Discovery said its post-separation companies will be named Warner Bros. and Discovery Global.
Why it matters: The announcement further unwinds the 2022 merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery that created WBD in the first place.
Catch up quick: WBD announced in June it plans to split into two publicly traded companies, separating most of its legacy TV assets from its streaming business.
- Warner Bros., which had been temporarily referred to as "Streaming & Studios," will include HBO, HBO Max, DC Studios as well as Warner Bros. television, film and gaming, plus their libraries.
- Discovery Global, which was temporarily named "Global Networks," will include most of its television brands like CNN and TNT Sports, free-to-air- channels in Europe and digital products like the Discovery+ streaming service and Bleacher Report (B/R).
- WBD CEO David Zaslav is set to run Warner Bros. while WBD CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels is slated to helm Discovery Global.
- As part of the split, expected to be completed by mid-2026, Discovery Global is poised to take on most of WBD's debt as well as a 20% stake in Warner Bros.
What's next: WBD said it's begun looking for a chief financial officer and chief people and culture officer for Warner Bros, as well as a chief communications and public affairs officer for Discovery Global.
The bottom line: It's hardly the first time the company has opted to return to names that already have widespread recognition.
- In May, WBD rebranded its Max streaming service back to HBO Max.
