Ann Sarnoff leaves the role of head of WarnerMedia Studios and the networks

Ann Sarnoff, who starred at WarnerMedia for nearly three years in film and television studios, will leave the company following the merger with Discovery.

Information about his departure circulated quickly on Tuesday and was later confirmed in a press release. It will go into effect after the close of the $ 43 billion merger, which is sort of a moving target but closer to reality. Regulators have set exact dates when the deal could officially end, but it looks like it will happen on Friday.

The news of his departure follows Jason Killard, CEO of WarnerMedia, who told staff that Friday would be his last day. HBO Max CEO Andy Forsell is also in the running.

Sarnoff joined the company in mid-2019 and was named President and CEO of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group the following year. She was the first woman to work in the studio as a film and television director.

Since Discovery and AT&T first introduced a spin-off combination with WarnerMedia in May 2021, questions have been raised about Sarnoff’s role in the executive branch given the number of executives at both companies.

Discovery CEO David Zaslav will take over the combined unity and purely gameplay character of the new company, there are expected to be fewer levels in the new executive structure. Discovery also promised to generate $ 3 billion in savings from the new company to reduce debt burdens.

Prior to joining WarnerMedia, Sarnoff was CEO of Viacom, Dow Jones, WNBA and BBC Studios Americas. Sarnoff’s surname is, of course, familiar to media lovers. Her husband’s uncle, David Sarnoff, was the undisputed president of RCA and one of the TV station’s founding fathers, directing NBC for the first few years and broadcasting himself.

“I want to thank Anne for her leadership in transforming the company and our industry,” Zaslav said in a press release. “She was a passionate and devoted steward of the world’s most powerful creative engine and with honesty, focus and hard work she led WarnerMedia’s businesses, brands and workforce together. The company has had a very exciting momentum and I appreciate all of your advice and collaborations over the past few months that have given us the success we have at Warner Bros. in starting Discovery. We all wish him much success in the future. “

In his statement, Killard called Sarnoff “the definition of a world-class executive and selfless leader.” It was extraordinary to see Ann combine the various creative teams of the past, invest in these teams, achieving creative brilliance and business results unlike anything this company has ever done before. Annie is a top notch person and I am honored to work with someone of her caliber.

Sarnoff shared the departure information with employees in an internal note. This is the complete report:

Dear team,

While I’ve been sending you notes over the past few years to keep you informed of our company’s successes and changes, this post is different in that it will be the last of this post. I will be leaving the company as soon as the transaction between WarnerMedia and Discovery closes.

It was never easy to take a leadership role, whether in a 96-year-old studio or a newly formed business group, but either way he was confident in success because he was surrounded by the smartest. The most creative and innovative teams he has ever worked with. Your passion for what you do is incredible and palpable.

Looking back on my time here, from my first year at Warner Bros. and then for nearly two years at Studios and Networks Group, I can’t help but be extremely proud of everything we’ve accomplished. And I’m not going to call this success a pandemic or switch to remote work because we’ve been successful in every respect, thanks to all of you.

Our mission is to be the best storytellers in the world and we have accomplished this mission in the best and most difficult times. Here are some examples: We received 7 Oscars last week, more than any other studio. During the awards season we also won 18 Critics’ Choice, 6 Film Actors Guild, 9 Writers Guild, 5 Producers Guild, 3 Directors Guild, 8 AFI, 9 Golden Globe, 11 NAACP Image and 6 BAFTA Awards. Over 80 awards from key industry organizations. And none of our comrades are close! I am proud of our incredible creative partnership and the fantastic management team who have repeatedly proven that the talents and stories of Studios and Networks Group truly are our superpower and no one else has.

Perhaps what I am most proud of, and what has been my goal since day one of my service, is to create a culture of collaboration across our organization and to align the silos in which our departments operate. I heard. From colleagues from all over the world who work more unilaterally than ever in the history of our company. Whether it’s Pictures Group, which makes films for HBO Max, HBO Max and WBTV, creating spin-off series like Peacemaker and The Penguin, TNets showcases Max’s programming on the newly created “Front Row” programming block, KYAC The team works perfectly with max. Create a critical mass of kids and families programming online and streaming, or a team of global brands will make an incredible effort across the company to create the DC FanDome, the largest virtual fan event in history, where everyone works together in innovative and unprecedented ways. . And it showed that the whole is really more than the parts. And the results speak for themselves – we have created and are implementing long-term plans that will generate visible fan engagement in our franchises. Finally, our fans can no longer see our organizer! I am proud to have played a role in realizing this potential and creating a long-term asset for the company.

In addition to this amazing cross-functional job, everyone did it from the park last year, plus stellar performance in our business. It will take three or four pages to list everything we have accomplished, but I would like to make a few important points:

First of all, we had a record financial performance in 2021, with the Studios and Networks group making a significant contribution to WarnerMedia. Second, we know how important the growth of HBO Max has been to the company. We asked and you answered: Every division of the Studios and Networks team has contributed to the accelerated growth of HBO Max through world-class advertising and programming partnerships. . We ended the year with over 13 million subscribers, plus plans and possibly the most popular streaming service. Our colleagues who have programmed HBO and HBO Max put together and then raised the creative level with their series, limited series and long-running shows such as Euphoria, Succession and Just Like That …, The Golden Age and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, just to name a few. . Our Pictures Group literally relaunched the world of cinema in 2021, releasing 17 films in theaters (in support of our show partners) and on HBO Max (delivering first series films to consumers while increasing service). WBPG is a stellar start to the year Batman, which globally has exceeded 700 (!) million dollars. Warner Bros. Television Group continues to lead the industry, producing a favorite series for over 100 fans, such as ted lasso, Elementary Abbot, Housekeeper, You, young Sheldon And Friends Integration for internal and external partners on broadcast, cable and digital platforms. TNets’ TBS and TNT remain at the top of the cable charts, creating captivating series that attract more than 200 million viewers each year. We joined Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Warner Bros. Animation, and TCM to form the Children, Youth and Classics Group (KYAC), and the teams quickly came together with ambitious plans, including the launch of a preschool programming block, Cartoonito. We have strengthened the DC brand and business in film, television, publishing, consumer products and experiences, with fan engagement as our primary focus. We have focused our franchise on high-growth initiatives around the wizarding world, including the launch of the incredible Harry Potter store in New York, our revamped WB Hollywood Studio Tour and Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter.

While this is just a highlight, you can see why I am so proud and so grateful to all of you. You are all great and have done an amazing job over the last few years.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone not only for their many contributions to the success of the company, but also for everything they have done, large and small, to make my time here special and fruitful. I really enjoyed being in this role. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with you, and I will be with you and Warner Bros. as Discovery continues to rise to the top for many, many years to come!

Thanks,

Ana