OWN, Warner Bros. WarnerMedia-Discovery Agreement to Forge Deeper Ties Between TV and HBO Max

For decades, WarnerMedia and Discovery have co-existed largely independently. They lived in a separate world without commercial interactions because unwritten television is the main area of ​​their overlap. Discovery Networks, through its Shed subsidiary, Warner Bros., which produces only a few reality shows for Discovery net. It primarily works with independent producers rather than studios like TV.

However, there is a close working relationship that was largely overlooked after the merger and created instant synergies: This is Warner Bros. According to the scenario between TV and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Over the past five years, WBTV has become OWN’s de facto script studio, producing nearly all of its original screenplay series. candy queen Y David creates man What They all get up.

Once the Discovery-WarnerMedia merger is complete, OWN and WBTV will be vertically integrated and HBO Max will serve as OWN’s corporate sister broadcaster. According to sources, WBTV is looking to expand its business with OWN under a new ownership framework and possibly plans to use OWN/Oprah Winfrey on HBO Max under its vertical brand. (We understand that similar plans are in the works to stream content and personalities from Magnolia Network, another Discovery joint venture led by Chip and Joanna Ganes, on HBO Max.)

OWN and Warner Bros. The relationship between the television company began in February 2015, when the network announced its first order for the drama Ava Dovernee, a scripted series without trailers. candy queenFrom WBTV, with which DuVernay agreed.

candy queen, Moving into its seventh and final season, it became one of OWN’s biggest hits, followed by WBTV’s other scripted series. David creates man, love__, Delilah, Düvernay live the dayY Kings of Napa

When a WBTV drama series everybody get up OWN, which was canceled by CBS after two seasons in May of last year, stepped in to save him and took over the show for a third season. This was done in a joint venture with HBO Max and Hulu, which share the legal streaming rights to the dramas.

everybody get up Y David creates man They’re on HBO Max right now. (candy queen Hulu has a streaming deal going back to the release of WarnerMedia Streamer.)

By creating its own brand hub in Streamer, HBO Max will help expand its reach and popularity with Black audiences, a key component of any growth strategy for the platform.

On the linear side, Kathleen Finch oversees OWN after Discovery increases its network share to 95% by 2020. Warner Bros. As President and Chief Content Officer of US Networks Group, a new consolidated organization that includes Discovery. More than 40 US networks introduced today are likely to continue to do so.

Notably, OWN, Discovery’s only script running on the network, remains under Finch’s control, while the full-fledged Magnolia Network operates under HBO’s watch.

Winfrey and Harpo Productions are minority investors in OWN, which became profitable after the early wars a few years ago. Warner Bros. Signed Discovery CEO ზ David Zaslav, CEO and Winfrey, who has a close relationship with the exclusive programming provider until 2025.

Papa Hayes contributed to this story.