The Presentation Highlighted New Suite of Ad Products and Advanced Advertising Opportunities for Partners
Culture-Defining Brands Across the Portfolio Include HBO and Max, Warner Bros. Pictures, TNT Sports, CNN, HGTV, Adult Swim and More
Warner Bros. Discovery (Nasdaq: WBD) showcased its annual Upfront presentation this morning at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, spotlighting its extensive selection of advertising offerings across premium entertainment, theatrical, sports, news and lifestyle brands on streaming, digital and linear platforms. Warner Bros. Discovery leadership shared its innovative partner opportunities for the evolving media landscape, including advanced advertising and measurement solutions, new ad formats, data-driven linear and efficiencies across the portfolio that allow for optimized reach for brands.
Touting the theme “Make It Happen Here,” the presentation emphasized WBD’s unique position to advertisers, with best-in-class IP and effective marketing solutions that drive value for partners. Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery introduced “One WBD,” a system that extends point of contact throughout the organization including streaming, theatrical and US networks, as well as licensing and franchise teams, to deliver end-to-end partnerships for clients throughout the marketing cycle.
Warner Bros. Discovery executives including Bruce Campbell, Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer; Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content; Jon Steinlauf, Chief US Advertising Sales Officer; Sheereen Russell, EVP, Client Partnerships and Inclusion Solutions; Dana Nussbaum, EVP, Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures; Kathleen Finch, Chairman and CEO, US Networks; Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide; and Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO, TNT Sports presented the organization’s unrivaled content, franchises and products to advertising partners, the investor community and media.
Additionally, attendees were delighted by stars from the Warner Bros. Discovery family including Mindy Kaling, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, Sarah Jessica Parker, John Cena, Bobby Flay, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, Omar Jimenez, Jake Tapper, Christiane Amanpour, Kate Bolduan, Audie Cornish, Taylor Rooks, Wayne Gretzky, Charles Barkley, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Micah Parsons, Conan O’Brien and Shaquille O’Neal, as well as a custom video from Rick and Morty.
“Warner Bros. Discovery is second to none in the marketplace when it comes to our iconic content offerings and IP, with the unique ability to move culture and influence consumer behavior around travel, shopping, dining and more of life’s important moments,” said Steinlauf. “Coupled with our innovative ad products and creative solutions across our diverse platforms, we’re able to provide targeted reach and scale that delivers maximum impact for our partners with measurable results.”
Throughout the presentation, Warner Bros. Discovery leadership shared key insights including:
- Max ranked #1 in quality, value and variety as well as overall satisfaction among consumers.1
- The Max ad-supported tier averages less than four minutes of ads per hour.
- The Max ad-supported tier subscriber base doubled in the past two years.
- Warner Bros. Discovery dominates the 71 million home pay TV landscape where net worth is 67% higher than in homes without pay TV.2
- Warner Bros. Discovery is home to the Top 5 Networks in primetime cable in Q1 2024: TBS, Food Network, TLC, Adult Swim and HGTV.3
- Warner Bros. Discovery has delivered more than a 40 share in primetime among adults 18-49 on 32 nights in 2024.4
- Warner Bros. Discovery content is seen by 85% of all adults in the US on a monthly basis.5
- Warner Bros. Discovery delivered 9 of the top 10 new unscripted shows on cable in 2023.6
- CNN Digital reaches over 100 million Americans every month.7
- TNT Sports reaches more than 150 million fans across linear and digital platforms.8
- Bleacher Report and House of Highlights account for over 227 million followers on social and 73% of the audience is under 34 years old.9
Announcements regarding new and enhanced advertising offerings include:
- Warner Bros. Discovery Announces Suite of New Ad Products on Max
- Warner Bros. Discovery Announces New Ad Sales Program Connecting Brands with Films from Warner Bros. Pictures
- Warner Bros. Discovery Announces ‘Olli,’ New First-Party Data Platform Powering Converged Audience Solutions
- Warner Bros. Discovery US Hispanic 2024-2025 Upfront Delivers Más (More) – Adding 10 Brand New Fast Channels and Enhanced Content for Hispanic Viewers
Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery made several exciting programming announcements, including:
- HBO, NFL Films, Skydance Sports and The New York Giants Announce Hard Knocks: Offseason with The New York Giants Debuting July 2
- Max Original Drama Series Dune: Prophecy Debuts this Fall (First Look Teaser Released)
- New Images from Season Two of the Original Drama Series The Last of Us
- Max Renews Conan O’Brien Must Go for a Second Season
- Warner Bros. Discovery’s Entertainment Networks Showcase 3,000 Hours of Original Cross-Platform Content at Upfront Presentation
- CNN Revives the Searching For Franchise with New CNN Original Series Eva Longoria: Searching For Spain
- CNN Launches American Version of Have I Got News For You Under CNN Originals Banner
- CNN Films and OWN Acquire Luther: Never Too Much from Director Dawn Porter
- CNN Orders a Second Season of CNN Original Series United States Of Scandal With Jake Tapper
- CNN Originals Teases 2024-2025 Programming Slate at Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront Presentation
- Micah Parsons Named President of B/R Gridiron as Part of New Multi-Year Extension with B/R
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Join TNT Sports NASCAR Broadcast Team
For more information about how to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery Ad Sales, see here.