In the memo (read in full below), Bloys lays out the responsibilities for his top executives on the script and documentary side who are staying put, and also highlights the accomplishments of the top executives who are leaving as a result of Jennifer’s layoffs. O’Connell, Jennifer Kim; Michael Quigley and Linda Lowy. “While I am confident that these structural changes will allow us to maintain a thriving business model, these decisions were extremely painful to make,” Bloys wrote. “We operate in an environment where we have to adapt in real time to the needs of the industry and the company. None of this lessens the blow of parting ways with such talented, trusted, hard-working and celebrated teammates.” Here is his email: Club, First, I want to thank and thank you all for the unparalleled, incredible work you have done in all of our programming efforts. This team has achieved success in an unprecedented array of challenges—from 140 Emmy nominations across our brand to recent coverage celebrating HBO Max as one of the best streaming services on the market. I commend your focus and commitment to excellence in these very uncertain times. Unfortunately, the environment in which we operate is changing rapidly and it is up to us to continue to refine our model to chart a course for long-term success. As you heard from David Zaslav on our last earnings call, producing top-tier HBO/Max scripted content is critical to WBD’s future. Part of this process involves an honest assessment of what we need to move forward. To better align our strengths and strategy with the challenges and opportunities ahead, I am announcing the following organizational changes. Original Max Scripted Sarah Aubrey will continue to oversee the Max Originals drama series as well as expand her remit to include a key global strategic role. Since the inception of the platform, Sarah has been a tirelessly dynamic leader, with a diverse and long list of hits including The Flight Attendant, Peacemaker, And Just Like That…, The Sex Lives of College Girls and The Staircase, among many others. Based on this, and as our company grows in its global ambitions and reach, Sarah’s remit will include working alongside Gerhard Zeiler and his team to define and implement our international programming strategy. Joey Chavez, EVP Programming, will continue to report to Sarah as the Max Originals drama star, and together they will focus on developing and producing tentpole IP series such as Peacemaker, Dune, The Penguin and Green Lantern. Suzanna Makkos will now report to Amy Gravitt, Head of Comedy and EVP, Programming for HBO. Suzanna has helmed an incredibly successful comedy line-up for Max Originals, marked by the acclaimed Emmy Award-winning series Hacks, as well as The Sex Lives of College Girls, Rap Sh!t and Julia, as well as animated series including of the upcoming Velma and New Love. This transition will align our comedy script under a dynamic, genre-redefining team. and by consolidating this division under Amy, we will be able to maximize our efficiency to continue building our frame across both the HBO brand and the Max Originals brand. Suzanna will also continue to lead Adult Swim’s adult animation programming. Aside from Amy now overseeing a combined HBO/HBO Max comedy team, HBO’s leadership remains unchanged. Francesca Orsi, HBO’s EVP of Drama and Programming, will continue to lead the HBO Originals drama team. Nancy Abraham, EVP Programming, and Lisa Heller, EVP Programming, will continue to lead HBO Documentary, and Nina Rosenstein, EVP Programming, continues to lead our late night, talk and specials content. As we consider Discovery content to contribute to HBO Max for a possible combined platform, we’ve had to make the incredibly difficult decision to disband or restructure the following groups, none of which reflect the contributions of the people affected here. Max Originals Family Nonfiction and Live Action Originals Jen O’Connell and her talented team led a diverse, impressive and entertaining slate, with titles ranging from competition series such as Emmy Award-winning Legendary to FBOY Island, 12 Dates of Christmas and Finding Magic Mike. in documentaries such as Class Action Park, The Way Down and On The Record. and family programming like Gordita Chronicles. I can’t say enough about my respect for Jen’s talent, vision and passionate commitment to inclusive content. As we move forward, we will not be adding new reality/documentaries to Max. For existing Max reality programming, we will make renewal decisions based on traditional measures of success. International Originals, HBO Max In light of the significant international footprint of Warner Bros. Discovery, led by Gerhard Zeiler, will no longer have a US team dedicated to pursuing these opportunities. During her tenure at HBO Max, Jeniffer Kim, SVP International Originals, was responsible for programming international content, including the acclaimed limited series It’s A Sin and the Peabody Award-winning Sort Of. My sincere gratitude to Jen and her team for all their inspiring work. Going forward, similar to the model used at HBO for titles like Years and Years, I May Destroy You and My Brilliant Friend, the individual drama and comedy teams will evaluate and pursue any international co-productions they deem valuable outside of Warner. Bros. Discovery. Casting, HBO Max To reflect the model that has proven successful over the years at HBO, we will no longer have an in-house casting department for Max Originals. Linda Lowy, EVP Casting, is one of the most talented casting executives in the business. She and her team have a lot to be proud of and the impact of their contributions can be seen in the groundbreaking Max Original range. Content Acquisitions, HBO & HBO Max Our model here will also change, with a significant reduction in team size. This reflects an evolving need as the industry moves away from third party Pay 1 deals and acquisitions and as a company we leverage our own library from the Warner Bros portfolio. Michael Quigley, EVP, Content Acquisition, who joined the HBO Max team shortly before the launch of the platform, will depart. During his time with the company, Michael spearheaded key acquisition deals—including South Park—and led a talented team based in Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. He has been a deft leader in the changing market and I wish him every success in the future. Royce Battleman, SVP, Content Acquisition, an essential member of HBO’s Acquisitions team for nearly three decades, will lead the newly restructured department and will now report to Glenn Whitehead, President, Business Affairs & Production for HBO & HBO Max. While I am confident that these structural changes will allow us to maintain a thriving business model, these decisions were extremely painful to make. We operate in an environment where we have to adapt in real time to industry and company needs. None of this lessens the blow of parting ways with such talented, trusted, hard-working and celebrated teammates. I extend to each of them my deepest appreciation as they move on to the next opportunity. More to come soon as I get my core team together where I can provide more insight into these changes and the road ahead, and I’ll do my best to answer any questions you may have. Casey
