The restructuring includes expanded responsibilities for HBO Max’s Andy Forssell and HBO’s Casey Bloys and the exit of top WarnerMedia executives Bob Greenblatt, Kevin Reilly and Keith Cocozza.
WarnerMedia is restructuring its executive ranks under newly installed CEO Jason Kilar, according to an internal memo.
The move consolidates WarnerMedia’s content divisions into one unit that will be overseen by Warner Bros. Chief Ann Sarnoff. Sarnoff will now oversee a newly expanded content group for the company.
The new Studios and Networks Group will combine content studios and programming across Warner Bros., HBO, HBO Max, TNT, TBS and TruTV.
“This group will oversee all WarnerMedia television series and motion picture development, production and programming, partnering with Andy to ensure HBO Max is successful globally,” Kilar wrote in the memo.
HBO veteran Casey Bloys, who will now report to Sarnoff, will oversee a content team that encompasses the premium cable network, streaming platform HBO Max and a trio of basic cable channels.
HBO Max general manager Andy Forssell, who will lead a newly created HBO Max operating business unit and report directly to Kilar.
The restructuring includes the exit of WarnerMedia Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt as well as Content Chief and TBS, TNT and TruTV President Kevin Reilly.
Keith Cocozza, Executive VP of Marketing and Communications is also leaving the company.
There is strong speculation that more restructuring at the lower levels, as well as layoffs, are coming on Monday.
Kilar said the departures were not due to any shortcomings on their parts, rather, part of a larger process of “reducing the size of our teams, our layers, and our overall workforce”.
Regarding the senior-level departures, Kilar said: “I realise this is a lot to take in. And none of us should expect the above changes to be easy. That said, we are successfully navigating a pandemic together and I know that however challenging the above changes may be, we will also successfully navigate them as well.”
Kilar was appointed as the company’s new CEO in April this year, replacing newly installed AT&T CEO John Stankey.
