HBO Max begins swinging the job-cut axe
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The axe has begun to fall at HBO Max.
According to the trade publication Variety, Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) has begun shutting down the reality programming unit of its HBO Max streaming TV service. Variety said the approximately 70 jobs being cut amount to about 14% of the staff currently overseen by Casey Bloys, the chief content offer for HBO and HBO Max.
The layoffs are the start of what is expected to be a year of transition and change at HBO Max. Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Chief Executive David Zaslav outlined a streaming TV strategy that involves combining HBO Max with the offerings included in the Discovery+ streaming TV service. At that time, Zaslav suggested that cost and job cuts were likely on the horizon as Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) develops a new streaming TV strategy in the wake of Discovery's merging with Warner Media.
Along with HBO Max trimming down its reality TV division, the streamer will combine its Max Original comedy programming with HBO, and HBO Max will also scale down its kids' programming efforts.
Zaslav said a combined brand that will cover HBO Max and the library of largely unscripted reality-style shows from Discovery would be completed and rolled out in the United States by 2023, with a goal of having 130M global subscribers by 2025.