WarnerMedia

WarnerMedia was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T, serving as the parent company for Time Warner’s assets from 2018 until its merger in 2022. The division was created after AT&T completed its acquisition of Time Warner in 2018, at which time Time Warner was renamed WarnerMedia to reflect the consolidation of film, television, and streaming operations under a single brand.

The WarnerMedia portfolio encompassed major film, television, and streaming properties. It included the film studio Warner Bros., the premium networks HBO and Cinemax, and the Turner networks such as TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, TruTV, and CNN. The company also managed DC Entertainment, overseeing the DC Comics film, television, and publishing properties. In the streaming arena, HBO Max was launched in May 2020 as the primary streaming service, combining content from WarnerMedia libraries with original and acquired programming.

In 2021, AT&T announced a plan to merge WarnerMedia with Discovery, Inc., forming a new publicly traded company. The merger, valued at about $43 billion, culminated in the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery, with the deal closing in April 2022. Following the merger, WarnerMedia ceased to exist as an independent entity, and its assets were integrated into the newly formed company. HBO and the Max streaming platform remained central brands under the combined corporate umbrella, with subsequent branding and strategic decisions carried out by Warner Bros. Discovery.

WarnerMedia played a central role in the entertainment industry through its production, distribution, and streaming activities, shaping film franchises, television programming, and digital distribution across global markets.