Warner Bros. International Television Production Moving To Discovery Global After Split
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EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Discovery on Mondayunveiled its post-split leadership plan, but absent from the detail was any mention of theWarner Bros International Television Production studio.
AlthoughWBD’s American studios and production divisions are being folded into David Zaslav’s new Warner Bros. business, we can reveal that the London-based WBITVP will, in fact, fall under theDiscovery Global biz, which will be led by current WBD CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels. The separation is expected to close in mid-2026.
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We understand Warner Bros and Discovery are moving towards post-split agreements on Warner formats that WBITVP already sells on the international market.
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Several sources alerted Deadline to WBITVP’s post-split shift upon yesterday’s announcement, and a rep for WBD confirmed the decision. It may seem surprising that the international studio will now be separate from the likes of Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group and DC Studios, but insiders noted that the move is a logical one given that Discovery Global is international-facing. “One positive is it will have to be Euro-centric,” said one source in the continent.
Furthermore, WBITVP already has a strong relationship with current WBD International President Gerhard Zeiler, who has become Discovery Global’s Chief Content Officer plus President in the U.S., UK and Germany. WBITVP President Ronald Goes is close with Zeiler, and the move allows the pair to continue working in lockstep, while continuing to work alongside Andy Zein, who is EVP Creative, Format Development and Sales.
Sources said they expect more information on WBITVP’s post-split future in the coming days but downplayed the idea that there will be layoffs or mergers from within. One speculated that there may have been a tussle between Warner Bros. and Discovery Global over where WBITVP would sit. “It’s flattering that we aren’t just being shipped off, but it does seem right to be in this [Discovery Global] part of the business,” said the insider.
Programming issues
WBITVP represents the rights to numerous Warner-created shows on the international market and makes the likes ofThe Bachelor, FBoy IslandandImpractical Jokers via production hubs across Europe and in Australia and New Zealand. In the UK, it ownsFirst Datesproducer Twenty Twenty,Who Do You Think You Are?maker Wall to Wall andThe Repair Shopindie Ricochet. Also among WBITVP’s catalog are 25 scripted formats, with several coming from the U.S., such asGossip Girl,The O.C. andThe Mentalist.
WBITVP’s central team, which is primarily based in Old Street, London but also has staff in the U.S., has more than 50 employees on the books, according to its website. We understand WBITVP will be staying put at its current base, where it and CNN Worldwide, which is also moving to Discovery, are housed.
Zeiler the big winner
Zeiler appeared a big winner out of yesterday’s post-split announcement. The WBD veteran has taken on the U.S. President role at Discovery Global, working closely with Wiedenfels at the top table on strategy. WBD LatAm and U.S. Hispanic boss Fernando Medin steps into his President of International shoes, and we understand his post will focus on territories elsewhere and finding new revenue streams for Discovery’s local businesses.
The likes of U.S. Ad Sales President Ryan Gould, distribution boss Scott Miller and content strategy EVP Fulvia Nicoli will all report into Zeiler. Other notable international names moving to Discovery include Kasia Kieli, who has retained her role as President and MD, Poland and CEO of Polish network TVN.
Following a period of intense speculation, the WBD split wasrevealed last month. The seismic move separates the company along similar lines to rivalComcast’s spinning out of its cable networks from NBCUniversal. Lionsgate’s split from Starz was confirmed in May.
Broadly, the separation of studios and broadcast networks from cable business is seen by most leaders and analysts as part of future-proofing against an increasingly dominant set of digital-first rivals such as YouTube, Netflix and Amazon. Streaming’s rise and the continued decline of linear television have left investors confused and stock prices floundering, even with cable networks still posting very healthy profits.
“By operating as two distinct and optimized companies in the future, we are empowering these iconic brands with the sharper focus and strategic flexibility they need to compete most effectively in today’s evolving media landscape,” Zaslav said at the time.
Warner Bros’ former parent, WarnerMedia, and Discoveryfirst united under the latter’s long-serving chief, Zaslav, in April 2022. This formed the WBD business, which is now set to break apart again.
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7 Comments
I think Discovery can do a great job producing and distributing their own TV stuff as spinning off from WB and they can do better after its ugly split with Time Warner. It’s time to make a healthy change.
- Sean Coomber
Imagine being WB, branded WB etc and then your attached to the sinking ship Discovery. What a waste of potentially combining worldwide production operations to support a worldwide expanding SVOD service.
- Basit Saliu
I always thought WBITVP did not fit Warner Bros. and this is a good move
- Sean
How did you come to that conclusion?
- James Henderson
So a SVOD rolling out internationally only cares about US productions on the service and not making local versions for their international audiences?
- Julia
ridiculous. Fat cats ruining a legacy studio all over again. and keep chasing the streamers, you will never catch Youtube nor Netflix. never. They should be reinventing their business model not constantly copying someone elses, poorly. These legacy studios deserve to crumble into dust. We workers abhor the hand that feeds us. Its such a polluted hand.
- Andy
Great comment! 100%
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