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Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia shocked the media and entertainment world with their May 17 news of a megadeal that would create a media joint venture, led by Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Now that venture has a name.
During a company town hall Tuesday from the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Zaslav said that the combined company will be called Warner Bros. Discovery. The company’s slogan will include the phrase “the stuff that dreams are made of,” a reference to the iconic line from the Warners film The Maltese Falcon.
“Warner Bros. Discovery will aspire to be the most innovative, exciting and fun place to tell stories in the world — that is what the company will be about,” Zaslav said Tuesday. “We love the new company’s name because it represents the combination of Warner Bros.’ fabled hundred-year legacy of creative, authentic storytelling and taking bold risks to bring the most amazing stories to life, with Discovery’s global brand that has always stood brightly for integrity, innovation and inspiration. There are so many wonderful, creative and journalistic cultures that will make up the Warner Bros. Discovery family. We believe it will be the best and most exciting place in the world to tell big, important and impactful stories across any genre — and across any platform: film, television and streaming.”
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The company’s also revealed a logo, based on the Warners branding.
AT&T CEO John Stankey and Zaslav shared their reasons and visions for the mega-combination May 17. Zaslav said that his “number one priority” would be building “relationships with the creative community,” adding that he plans to spend time in Los Angeles, New York and anywhere else that talent is based. “I will be anywhere in the world the creatives are, to strive to create the best creative culture,” he vowed. “We want our company to be the place where people that want creativity” can find it.
And he said: “The story of the Warner Brothers is the story of everyone in our industry. Success is about creative talent in front of the screen and behind the screen, and fighting for the culture that creates that vision.”
One of the main questions Wall Street has been wondering about is what the merged firm’s streaming offerings will look like. “We will have enormous flexibility in how we package our streaming services,” Zaslav said, adding that “we will look at the range of options to unlock value here in the U.S. and around the world,” including a super pack that combines all the assets in one service, or a bundled offering similar to what Disney is doing with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
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