Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
Late-night host Conan O'Brien joked at WarnerMedia's upfront pitch to advertisers on Wednesday that his personal choice for the as-of-yet-untitled, upcoming streaming service from the media company would be StankeyVision.
The laughably bad name was a nod to O'Brien's new boss, WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey, who stepped off the stage moments earlier, after welcoming the audience of advertisers, agencies, journalists, and other industry people in New York to the "new WarnerMedia."
Nearly a year after phone company AT&T formed WarnerMedia through the acquisition of legacy-media company Time Warner-and made big structural and leadership changes-the company's top brass is in place. The executives who are forging WarnerMedia's future were on full display at the upfront presentation.
"You'll see some familiar faces on stage today but make no mistake, we are a new company," Stankey said.
Advertisement
These are the power power players behind WarnerMedia's vision for the future of TV.
Stankey was a key player in the merger between AT&T and Time Warner. As AT&T's chief strategy officer, he led the plans to integrate the two companies.
Now, as CEO of WarnerMedia, Stankey oversees all of the company's entertainment brands, such as HBO, TBS, and the upcoming streaming service; news and sports networks like CNN and Turner Sports; and Warner Bros., which has TV and film studios, as well as brands like DC, Cartoon Network, and Otter Media's Crunchyroll.
One of his top priorities is getting WarnerMedia's subscription-streaming service off the ground. The platform will launch in a testing phase later this year that won't have ads. Ads will be included in the second, full release of the platform when it comes out in early 2020, Stankey said.
Kevin Reilly — chief content officer of direct-to-consumer
One of Stankey's top deputies is Kevin Reilly, president of TV networks TBS and TNT and the chief content officer of WarnerMedia's upcoming streaming service. Reilly emceed most of the upfront event on Wednesday.
He is making big changes to the two TV networks directly under his charge, TBS and TNT. TBS, known for comedies, will move into dramas starting with the long-planned "Snowpiercer" adaption, which Reilly shared a first glimpse of at the event. He confirmed that the series, due out in 2020 around March Madness, has already been picked up for a second season. And, All Elite Wrestling is coming to TNT, a network best known for hard-hitting dramas like "The Alienist" and major sports matchups like the NBA games.
While Reilly talked about TBS, TNT, and truTV, he largely showcased their content together. It signals a shift at the company away from individual brands and toward a broader WarnerMedia umbrella. That's contrary to the approach that competitor Disney is taking by making brands like Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar the heart of its upcoming subscription service.
Reilly said he would experiment with programming for WarnerMedia's TV networks as the company readies its streaming service. Some series, like an unscripted show called "Chasing the Cure," will be simulcast live on both TBS and TNT, for example.
"There's a lot of great TV out there today," said Reilly. "But there's also a binge-and-burn mentality that can dilute the impact of even the best content. We're looking to be the answer to that."
Donna Speciale — president of ad sales
WarnerMedia's new streaming service won't have ads when it launches in a testing phase later this year. The ads will come when the company rolls out the second version of the platform in early 2020.
Donna Speciale, president of ad sales at WarnerMedia, took the stage to tout the broader AT&T advertising ecosystem.
"What makes us smarter? What makes this year different? What sets us apart?" said Speciale. "Our ability to leverage AT&T's data with Xandr's insights. As part of AT&T, we can now transact on 170 million direct-to-consumer relationships."
Bob Greenblatt — chairman of entertainment and direct-to-consumer
Former chairman of NBC Entertainment Bob Greenblatt was on hand with Stankey, the CEO, on Wednesday, though Greenblatt didn't take the stage himself. As chairman of WarnerMedia's entertainment and direct-to-consumer businesses, he's leading the launch of the new WarnerMedia service next year, Stankey said.
Stankey said there was no programming for the new service to announce yet.
On top of the other WarnerMedia TV networks that were highlighted, Greenblatt is also overseeing HBO, which is expected to be the foundation for WarnerMedia's upcoming streaming service. Longtime HBO chief Richard Plepler stepped down from his role earlier this year.
Jeff Zucker — chairman of news & sports, and president of CNN
CNN president Jeff Zucker also moved into the spotlight this year when he took on a bigger role at WarnerMedia, chairing the company's news and sports division. He now oversees all of the media company's live programming, and earned a nod from Stankey on stage at Wednesday's event.
Zucker helped turn CNN into one of the US's most-watched news networks in his time there. He'll be building out WarnerMedia's sports strategy across Turner, Bleacher Report, and the company's others networks in his new role, as well as preparing CNN for another heated US presidential election cycle.
Six of CNN's top anchors, including Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, and Wolf Blitzer, were met with a rapturous applause at the event when they reaffirmed the news network's commitment to the truth.
Gerhard Zeiler — chief revenue officer
Gerhard Zeiler is the top executive overseeing WarnerMedia's revenue streams.
He leads WarnerMedia's affiliates and ad sales group, which includes Speciale's team, as well as the team responsible for negotiating carriage deals with TV providers like fellow AT&T subsidiary DirecTV or cable company Comcast. His job is getting more complicated as audiences shift online and away from platforms that feature advertising.
Zeiler is also responsible for the strategy behind Turner's international businesses.
