Why did Warner Bros Discovery lay off around 70 jobs at HBO Max? Media conglomerate cites 'restructuring' as reason
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: After rumors of Warner Bros Discovery going through a restructuring did the rounds earlier this month, the media conglomerate reportedly cut around 70 jobs or an equivalent to laying off 14% of its staff. According to multiple reports, these employees were all under HBO and its streaming platform HBO Max.
As per a memo from Casey Bloys, HBO Max's chief content officer, it was a call taken with restructuring in mind. “As we contemplate the Discovery content offering joining HBO Max for an eventually combined platform, we have had to make the incredibly difficult decision to disband or restructure the following teams, none of which reflects the contributions of the individuals impacted here," the memo read, a copy of which was obtained by The Verge. According to the media outlet, the ones affected include the streamer's reality unit, casting, and content acquisitions units.
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Earlier WB Discovery announced that the HBO Max/Discovery+ streamer will launch in the United States next summer with the official name of the service still up in the air. “At the end of the day, putting all the content together was the only way we saw to make this a viable business,” JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games for Warner Bros. Discovery, told analysts last week during the company’s earnings call. Bringing HBO Max and Discovery+ together is aimed at cutting churn so “there’s something for everyone in the household,” he said.
Discovery has been in the headlines for quite some time now, especially after canceling 'Batgirl'. CEO David Zaslav was unapologetic about the decision saying “Our objective is to grow the DC brand, to grow the DC characters, but also our job is to protect the DC brand.” Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah issued a rather emotional statement after their movie starring Leslie Grace in the lead role of Barbara Gordon was shelved.
“We are saddened and shocked by the news,” read their joint statement posted on social media. “We still can’t believe it. As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will insha’Allah."
