WarnerMedia, Discovery Complete Merger, Become Warner Bros Discovery

The AT&T logo is pictures on a building in Los Angeles, California, U.S. August 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake//File Photo
The AT&T logo is pictures on a building in Los Angeles, California, U.S. August 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake//File Photo
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WarnerMedia, Discovery Complete Merger, Become Warner Bros Discovery

The AT&T logo is pictures on a building in Los Angeles, California, U.S. August 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake//File Photo
The AT&T logo is pictures on a building in Los Angeles, California, U.S. August 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake//File Photo

AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia unit and Discovery Inc have completed their merger, the companies said on Friday.

The combined company, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, will start trading on the Nasdaq on Monday under the ticker symbol "WBD".

In May last year, the companies set out to merge and become a standalone media business, with AT&T aiming to focus more on its wireless ambitions and Discovery looking to beef up its content library.

"With the close of this transaction, we expect to invest at record levels in our growth areas of 5G and fiber, where we have strong momentum," AT&T Chief Executive Officer John Stankey said in a statement.

Warner Bros Discovery's portfolio includes Discovery Channel, Warner Bros. Entertainment, CNN, HBO, Cartoon Network; streaming services Discovery+ and HBO Max; and franchises like "Batman" and "Harry Potter".

A top priority for David Zaslav, the long-time Discovery veteran leading the combined entity, is to make streaming video as profitable as the old TV business, analysts said.

Discovery On Thursday announced the executive team to lead the new Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), leaning heavily on a trusted group of lieutenants, many of whom have worked with its chief executive since his days at NBC.

Nine high-level WarnerMedia executives, including Chief Executive Jason Kilar and Studios and Network chief Ann Sarnoff, announced their exits ahead of the formation of the combined company earlier this week.



Thunderbolts' Kicks Off US, Canada Summer Box Office with $76 Million

A man holds a ticket as he walks past an installation promoting the Marvel Studios' ''Thunderbolts'', at a movie theatre in Beijing, China April 30, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
A man holds a ticket as he walks past an installation promoting the Marvel Studios' ''Thunderbolts'', at a movie theatre in Beijing, China April 30, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
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Thunderbolts' Kicks Off US, Canada Summer Box Office with $76 Million

A man holds a ticket as he walks past an installation promoting the Marvel Studios' ''Thunderbolts'', at a movie theatre in Beijing, China April 30, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
A man holds a ticket as he walks past an installation promoting the Marvel Studios' ''Thunderbolts'', at a movie theatre in Beijing, China April 30, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

Marvel movie "Thunderbolts" opened Hollywood's summer movie season with an estimated $76 million in US and Canadian ticket sales over its first three days, distributor Walt Disney said on Sunday.
The returns were in line with pre-weekend forecasts, though below the $88.8 million opening of Marvel's "Captain America: Brave New World" in February, Reuters reported.
"Thunderbolts" added $86.1 million in international markets for a global total of $162.1 million, Disney said in a statement.
"Thunderbolts" stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour as anti-heroes who are forced to work together to fight a supervillain. It is the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The movie business is still hovering below pre-pandemic levels, and a healthy summer is key to that effort. Hollywood brings in about 40% of the year's box office receipts during the summer season, which the industry measures from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, the first Monday in September.