Chip & Joanna Switch Sides From HGTV to HBO As ‘Fixer Upper’ Stars After WB/Discovery Merger

Warner Bros. Under Discovery’s new leadership, Chip and Joanna Gaines In one of the scariest changes reported by Magnolia Network, HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Blois has moved from Discovery to Warner Bros. On closer inspection, this move, which could lead to the involvement of a Magnolia brand center in scriptwriting at HBO Max and Gainers, isn’t too surprising. The couple only needed two mergers and three relationships to get there.

Gaines’ journey of discovery began in July 2017, when the company announced that it had agreed to acquire main network HGTV, Scripps, and that the network’s main show would be Gaines. top stabilizer. It must have been a very short journey; Less than two months later, the Gainses announced they were breaking up. top stabilizer And leave HGTV.

The duo’s strained relationship with Kathleen Finch was believed to have played a role in their decision not to renew their contract with HGTV. When was Finch aired on HGTV top stabilizer During Gaines’ departure, he founded and oversaw the channel as director of content, content and brand programming for Scripps Networks.

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Gaines was not in a relationship with Discovery CEO David Zaslav at the time, but it soon developed. how did you learn this top holder, The biggest blow to the mesh bag he’d taken was about to end, “he took all the air out of my lungs,” he said. WSJ in 2018.

Zaslav went to the Gaines’ home in Waco, Texas, where the couple’s vast empire resided, to bring them back. It was a delicate situation that would balance between the star executive who was finished off by Finn and Gaines’ superstar.

The duo’s direct return to HGTV was nearly impossible, but Zaslav found a way, hired Finch, lifestyle director at the combined Discovery-Scripps company, and formed a media joint venture between the Discovery duo and Gaines to Magnolia. . Network, linear cable network and digital brand subscriber streaming service for DIY channel replacement. (Magnolia content is currently running on Discovery+.)

“David and I have this fraternity,” said Chip Gaines in the joint venture’s 2019 Discovery announcement.

Based on the current relationship, Gains chose close allies during the launch on HGTVstabilizer f on topAlison Page, then HGTV president, will lead the joint venture as president.

Chip and Joanna Gaines have since enjoyed special status on Discovery, with admin pages reporting directly to Zaslav. (The same was true for Discovery’s last two joint ventures, Motor Trend and OWN, which came under Finch’s control after Oprah Winfrey took over most of her shares in the latter in 2020.)

Following the completion of the Discovery-WarnerMedia merger today, Zaslav has seen his portfolio expand tremendously, with HBO/HBO’s Max Casey Bloys, Warner Bros. Toby EmerickWarner Bros. of TV Group. He has received several new live reports, including Channing Dungey and CNN’s Chris Licht.

In the new unified world, two joint ventures, Magnolia Network and Motor Trend, no longer have a direct line to Zaslav. Warner Bros. Discovery’s structure includes two programming executives overseeing networks/broadcasters: Blois and Finch, appointed president and chief content officer of US Networks Group, WarnerMedia Entertainment Cable Networks added TBS, TNT, truTV, TCM and Boomerang Adult Swim. to your wallet.

Strangely enough, Blois, who has focused on premium scripted content for most of his career, has supervised nearly every other ad-supported cable network, including several WMs equipped with original scripting, while he oversees the main scripted cable network. Go under the finch whose background is never written.

Aside from the topic of the Gains-Finch relationship, which sources say has improved somewhat over the years, there were other factors that were decided upon in Magnolia Network’s move to HBO/HBO and the Blois reporting page, which tracks all content. Coded and unwritten for HBO and HBO Max (excluding child rate and YA).

HBO Max has built itself for female-centric scripts with similar shows And just like that…, stewardess Y tricks, Interested in women of similar demographics in the Magnolia lifestyle series. HBO Max is trying to expand on this unwritten space after the success of the pandemic series trailer. Selena + Chef.

Magnolia Network’s listing fits that, and mentions a potential hub for HBO Max built around the brand. Indie producers who sold the projects to Magnolia told Deadline that from the start the network operated on a competitive budget, resulting in content that could live on a premium content platform like HBO Max. (Warner Bros. Discovery management has yet to reveal plans to bundle/merge HBO Max and Discovery+ in the future.)

Additionally, the Gains were considering expanding their branding scene to what’s now real as part of the HBO/HBO Max family, according to sources.

I understand that this is not an arranged marriage by either party. It worked for a while, and I understand that the heads of HBO/HBO Max were fans of the Magnolia shows. Fixer Upper: Welcome Home Y Missing kitchen. (Apart from the controversy surrounding the repair program HomeworkMagnolia slate is generally well received.)

Other US cable networks may be relocated as Magnolia Network continues to move to HBO/HBO Max Group.

As president and CEO of Discovery Sports, I understand that depending on who Warner Bros. is, this person might oversee the heavyweight TNT and TBS of the sport. This new hire will also be responsible for joint venture Motor Trend and this cable channel.