Warner Bros. Discovery to spend more than $1 billion downsizing
Hollywood’s best-known studio has hired a top public relations firm to help them move out of its New York offices, where the studio has been working with Warner Bros. Television to transform into a more centralized, interactive operation.
The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that the high volume of news stories about the decision led Warner Media to hire the top public relations firm TBWA to handle the planning and development of the new company.
The Times wrote, “The Los Angeles Times also revealed that Warner Bros. executives have hired the firm TBWA to handle everything beyond the public relations aspects of the company, such as getting the word out and marketing the new studio. The company will also be handling the company’s corporate communications efforts.”
The deal will come with restrictions for the studio. Warner Bros. has only committed to a downsized operation to begin the process of transforming the old Warner Bros. Studio lot into a new headquarters that will employ more than 2,500 employees.
The company will also be limiting the number of newsroom employees, which will be reduced from around 1,000 employees to just 350 when the merger happens.
The company will be bringing all its headquarters up to date at 10th and Broadway and then, after the merger is complete, the two will operate under just one name, which will be Warner Bros. Entertainment.
The new studio is expected to take a significant hit in the TV business because the studio is primarily focused on making live-action and animated television, which was the area that produced the bulk of the studio’s profits. According to the Times, this will put pressure on other areas.
“While Warner Bros. says it has not changed its TV business plans, the company also said it is now focusing on making money in other areas, such as theatrical, animation, and live-action shows in digital,” the report added.
The announcement comes nearly a year after Warner Bros.’ board of directors approved a $2 billion merger with Time Warner that would create