Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav embraces the past as he plans his companys future
Summary
His comments come as Netflix has lost more than 60% of its value in the past year after subscriber growth stopped for the first time in a decade, causing media and entertainment companies to rethink their streaming strategies. Zaslav made a point to say he is a believer in both movie theater releases and the longevity of traditional TV as "a cash generator and a great business for us for many years to come" during his companys second-quarter earnings conference call on Thursday. Kilar made waves during the pandemic by deciding to put his entire 2021 film slate on HBO Max at the same time movies hit theaters. Zaslav on Thursday, in stark contrast, made a point to emphasize the importance of theatrical release for big-budget movies by scrapping "Batgirl" this week, which Kilar had ticketed to launch directly on HBO Max. Choosing to push HBO Max while also trying to slow the decline of box office and linear pay-TV is a juggling act.