Warner Bros. Discovery Unveils New Company Names After Split

It has been four years since Warner Bros. and Discovery merged to form Warner Bros. Discovery. Despite the significant time and money spent on rebranding, things are returning to normal in 2026. Warner Bros. Discovery will split into two separate entities, which are titled exactly as one would expect. Similar to the debacle of renaming HBO Max to Max only to revert to the original name, Warner Bros. will also go back to its original name.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans to split its assets into two companies have been unveiled. Warner Bros. will be home to “Streaming & Studios” which includes Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Warner Bros. Television, DC Studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Gaming Studios, as well as the company’s rich film and television libraries. Warner Bros. will be led by president and CEO David Zaslav, who is currently the CEO of WBD. The “new” name was selected by WBD in service of “honoring the legacy of more than a century of industry-defining storytelling.”

Meanwhile, the “Global Networks” assets will be spun off into Discovery Global. This division will be overseen by Gunnar Wiedenfels, who currently serves as CFO of Warner Bros and will step into the role of CEO of Discovery Global in mid-2026. Discovery Global will include Warner Bros. Discovery’s entertainment, sports, and worldwide television news brands, including but not limited to CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., Discovery, and free-to-air channels across Europe. Discovery Global was selected as the name due to “recognition of the affinity and value this name has around the world in entertainment, news, and sports.”

The Warner Bros. Rebrand Was a Waste of Time and Money

This rebranding to the original name is just another in a long line of humorous headlines regarding Warner Bros., which started with the company being acquired by AT&T and then sold to David Zaslav’s Discovery to create a giant media conglomerate. The result, though, was billions of dollars in debt, including wasting money and time on a rebranding that lasted less than half a decade. Somehow, Zaslav still managed to walk away with $51.9 million in 2024. Even though his pay will be reduced slightly following the split, it is still a substantial amount of money, given the recent fumbles, such as splitting a company that was merged in the first place and then renaming it back to its original name.

Regarding the announcement of the split, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in a statement:

“We will proudly continue the more than century-long legacy of Warner Bros. through our commitment to bringing culture-defining stories, characters, and entertainment to audiences around the world. Over the past several years, we have made important strides across the business, launching and investing in a profitable, global streaming service and reinvigorating our studios to return them to an industry-leading position. With our unmatched portfolio of storytelling IP coupled with our incredible creative partners, and now an executive team of proven, bold, and committed creative and corporate leaders, we are in a strong position to launch and continue to meaningfully grow a company worthy of our storied past.”

Some other key details revealed at the event are that Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca will remain as co-chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. At the beginning of 2025, there was serious concern that the duo would be let go following notable box office flops like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Joker: Folie à Deux, Mickey 17, and Alto Knights. However, the company’s fortunes turned around in a major way as the studio has had multiple box office hits, including Sinners, A Minecraft Movie, Final Destination: Bloodlines, and Superman. Speaking of Superman, both James Gunn and Peter Safran will remain at the helm of DC Studios, with the DCU’s shared universe moving forward.

Source: Variety