David Zaslav attends the HBO Max Primetime Emmy Awards Afterparty at San Vicente Bungalows on Sept. 14, 2025. David Jon/Getty Images for HBO Max
As Warner Bros. Discovery enters the final stages of fielding acquisition bids from Netflix and Paramount Skydance, the executives overseeing its most valuable businesses—streaming, studios and global networks—are emerging as pivotal figures in what could be the entertainment industry’s most consequential reshuffling in years.
The company announced in June that it would break itself into two entities just three years after the high-profile WarnerMedia–Discovery merger. Under the plan, Warner Bros. would retain the studios and streaming operations, while a new division, Discovery Global, would hold the networks’ business, making it easier for WBD to spin off or sell individual assets. In the ongoing bidding war, Netflix offered $83 billion for the Warner Bros. side, and Paramount offered $108.4 billion bid for the entire company.
A major transaction has long felt inevitable. The 2022 merger saddled the company with roughly $50 billion in debt, leaving its leadership little choice but to explore a breakup or sale. If the split proceeds, WBD CEO David Zaslav would continue leading the Warner Bros. side, and Discovery Global would be led by current CFO David Wiedenfels.
As the future of the storied media giant hangs in the balance, here are the executives steering its most important assets:
Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy, Co-Chair and Co-CEO of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy attend the Los Angeles premiere of Warner Bros. “The Flash.” Leon Bennett/WireImage
Pamela Abdy and Mike De Luca were were installed in these roles following the 2022 merger. They oversee global theatrical production, marketing and distribution operations for the studio, including feature films produced under Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros. Animation. They also share curatorial oversight of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) under the WB banner, in collaboration with filmmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Before joining WBD, Abdy served as president of MGM’s motion-picture group, and De Luca was chairman of MGM’s motion-picture group.
Peter Safran and James Gunn, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of DC Studios
Peter Safran and James Gunn at the Los Angeles Premiere of Warner Bros. “Superman.” Stewart Cook/Warner Bros. via Getty Images
James Gunn and Peter Safran were tapped in 2022 to jointly run DC Studios, a new division created as part of WBD’s post-merger overhaul of its superhero strategy. Gunn, the writer-director behind The Suicide Squad and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, brings a distinct creative vision to the role. Safran, a longtime producer whose credits span major franchises such as Aquaman and The Conjuring universe, adds deep experience in both blockbuster and genre filmmaking. Together, they are responsible for charting the long-term creative direction of DC’s film, television and animation slate.
Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. TV Group
Channing Dungey at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. JC Olivera/Variety via Getty Images
Channing Dungey is the first woman—and the first Black executive—to lead Warner Bros.’ TV business. She was named chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group in 2021 and expanded her remit to include WBD’s U.S. networks in 2024. She now oversees all animation, live-action scripted and unscripted television, including series such as Abbott Elementary, The Bachelor franchise and The Pitt. Her portfolio also spans the Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV and other linear networks. A former Netflix vice president of original series, Dungey works closely with Brett Paul, chief operating officer for U.S. networks, and Howard Lee, chief creative officer for U.S. networks.
Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max
Casey Bloys attends HBO Max 2026 Global Programming Slate in London. Dave Benett/Getty Images for HBO Max
Casey Bloys first joined HBO in 2004 as a director of development. He was appointed chairman and CEO of HBO and the streaming service (formerly “Max,” soon returning to “HBO Max”) in October 2022. He is 3.5 years into a five-year contract. Under his oversight, HBO and the streaming service have continued producing high-profile and award-winning content such as Euphoria, The White Lotus and The Last of Us.
JB Perrette, CEO and President of Streaming and Games
JB Perrette speaks onstage during Warner Bros. Discovery’s 2025 Upfront Presentation. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery
jb perrette took charge of WBD’s streaming and games division following the 2022 merger. Prior to the merger, he led streaming and international operations at Discovery, Inc. He now oversees the technical and strategic rollout of WBD’s streaming platforms, including HBO Max and Discovery+, as well as gaming initiatives, with direct reports that include WBD’s CTO of Streaming and Games, Grandfather Saxena
Gerhard Zeiler, President of WBD International
Gerhard Zeiler speaks on stage at the CNN Journalist Award 2015. Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for CNN
Gerhard Zeiler oversees WBD’s international business, steering the company’s global brands and direct-to-consumer strategy across more than 220 markets. A longtime executive who previously ran WarnerVision and Turner’s international units, he took charge of the combined company’s global operations after the 2022 merger. His portfolio spans everything from local film production and acquisitions to regional networks, streaming services and global distribution. He reports to Zaslav and WBD CFO David Wiedenfels.
Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO of TNT Sports
Luis Silberwasser speaks onstage during Warner Bros. Discovery’s 2025 Upfront Presentation. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery
Luis Silberwasser leads TNT Sports as chairman and CEO, overseeing one of the most valuable sports-rights portfolios in the U.S., including the NBA, MLB, NHL and more. Before WBD, he oversaw television networks at TelevisaUnivision and previously ran NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. From 2010 to 2014, he served as executive vice president and chief content officer at Discovery Networks International. He recently secured a seven-year multimedia rights deal with NASCAR that kicked off this year. He also reports to Zaslav and Wiedenfels.
Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide
Mark Thompson speaks during a keynote address at CES 2019. David Becker/Getty Images
Mark Thompson took the helm of CNN Worldwide in 2023, bringing decades of experience in newsrooms and digital media to the role. The former BBC director-general and New York Times CEO—who helped steer both institutions through major digital transformations—now oversees all CNN content and operations around the world under the WBD banner.
Kasia Kieli, CEO of TVN
Kasia Kieli serves as president and managing director for WBD in Poland and as CEO of TVN, one of the country’s largest media companies. A veteran of Discovery’s pre-merger leadership, she previously oversaw the company’s operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Today, she remains a central figure in WBD’s international strategy, guiding its Polish portfolio through a shifting media and regulatory landscape.
