most iconic, fan-favorites from Casablanca to DC Comics, Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings, the Big Bang Theory, Friends, Game of Thrones, Dune, Matrix, Sex in the City, the Sopranos and Wizard of Oz!
If you aren’t totally familiar with WarnerMedia’s amazing brands, please click on this video to see how we imagine this new company.
I realize this news probably comes as a surprise!
First, none of this would be possible without your hard work, creativity and grit in building and growing Discovery into the dynamic media company we are today. It is a huge testament to all of you that AT&T is entrusting us to bring its crown jewel entertainment assets into the future alongside our own.
Second, I will be running the combined company and feel great about bringing two strong cultures together that share a deep commitment to their people, their values and mission...and quality impactful storytelling. I also appreciate that you may have questions about the synergy estimates we have announced, and rest assured we will work diligently and conscientiously through that process, and always communicate as transparently as possible...but know that nothing can happen on this front until after the deal is approved and closed sometime in first half of 2022. This transaction will also create meaningful growth opportunities for many of our employees, as well as for our talent and franchises, as we get the opportunity to compete at a much bigger table.
Third, this process will take time. We expect the deal to be approved in the first half of next year. In the meantime, it’s fully business as usual, and we need to keep our eye on the ball and continue to drive our standalone company forward, including our ambitious plans for discovery+. At the same time, we will of course keep you posted on developments, and when and how we can start engaging with our counterparts.
I know you will have plenty of questions, so please join me alongside John Stankey, CEO of AT&T, for a virtual global Town Hall on Wednesday, May 19 at 10am ET.
Today we stand on the shoulders of John Hendricks, John Malone, Bob Miron and the Newhouse Family — the visionaries who saw the consumer demand for non-fiction excellence, creating the Discovery Channel as one stand-alone network based in Landover, Maryland; and Ken Lowe, who turned an idea for a cable network about homes and gardens into a global media lifestyle phenomenon. Through innovation, risk-taking and hard work, that initial Discovery Channel has grown into one of the most admired media companies in the world today.
I want to give a very special shout-out to the Discovery teams who got this unprecedented deal done...first to Bruce Campbell, Elizabeth Newell, Dan Fox and the entire Corporate Development team, and Gunnar Wiedenfels, Fraser Woodford, Andrew Slabin, Todd Davis and the Finance team….simply put, we would not be here if not for Bruce and Gunnar and their steady leadership, ingenuity and warrior mentality of grinding out too many all-nighters to count! Thanks also to Savalle Sims, Tara Smith and the Legal team…David Leavy, Nathaniel Brown