Warner Bros. head Ann Sarnoff to leave company amid Discovery merger

Ann Sarnoff is leaving her function as the top of WarnerMedia’s studios and networks — together with the storied Warner Bros. movie and TV studio — as the corporate prepares to be absorbed by Discovery.

Sarnoff joined Warner Bros. in 2019 as the primary feminine head of the Burbank studio in its almost century-long historical past. Her full title is chair and chief govt of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group.

Her departure, introduced by WarnerMedia on Tuesday, is a part of a broader overhaul on the firm as Discovery CEO David Zaslav takes cost of the a lot bigger operation.

The information of the shakeup comes the identical day that Sarnoff’s boss, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, informed employees he could be leaving the corporate, which he dramatically reshaped throughout his almost two-year run. “I want I had extra time,” Kilar informed the Los Angeles Instances on Tuesday.

Discovery’s takeover of WarnerMedia — which incorporates such outstanding belongings as CNN, HBO, TBS, Cartoon Community and Turner Basic Films — might be finalized by subsequent week. WarnerMedia is being spun off by its present proprietor, Dallas telephone large AT&T.

When the $43-billion deal closes, Zaslav will take the reins of the mixed operation. At the moment, Kilar and Sarnoff are anticipated to depart. Discovery’s belongings embrace the Meals Community, HGTV, Animal Planet and TLC.

Hypothesis about Sarnoff’s future job standing had swirled for the reason that deal was introduced, and it will definitely grew to become clear that she wouldn’t have a spot on the new firm, which will probably be known as Warner Bros. Discovery.

Sarnoff, beforehand president of BBC Studios Americas, joined Warner Bros. at a tumultuous second. Her predecessor, Kevin Tsujihara, left the studio below a cloud after acknowledging anaffair with an actress, who appeared in Warner Bros. motion pictures.

Sarnoff was seen by Hollywood as an outsider — a talented supervisor however not a artistic govt who had earned her chops within the movie enterprise. She was named to the bigger WarnerMedia function, which included oversight of HBO, in 2020 after Kilar joined the corporate.

As head of Warner Bros., she oversaw a controversial technique to launch the entire studio’s 2021 motion pictures on sister streaming service HBO Max concurrently their theatrical launch. Whereas the transfer harm field workplace for motion pictures resembling “King Richard,” it drove subscribers to HBO Max whereas theaters have been nonetheless struggling to recuperate from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zaslav, in an announcement, thanked Sarnoff for her contributions to the corporate.

“She has been a passionate and dedicated steward of the world’s most formidable artistic engine and has led with integrity, focus and laborious work in bringing WarnerMedia’s companies, manufacturers and workforce nearer collectively,” Zaslav mentioned.

The New York Instances first reported Sarnoff’s exit.

The transition of energy to Zaslav, one in all company America’s highest-paid executives, marks yet one more new period for Warner Bros. and its sibling networks.

AT&T’s possession marked a turbulent time for WarnerMedia, and Zaslav will develop into the fourth CEO overseeing the WarnerMedia belongings in 5 years.

Instances employees author Meg James contributed to this report.