WarnerMedia is expanding Kevin Reilly’s role, giving the TBS and TNT president creative oversight of the company’s forthcoming streaming service.
Reilly, already creative creative officer at Turner and president of TNT and TBS, has been named chief creative officer of direct-to-consumer for WarnerMedia.
His new title is president of TBS, TNT and chief creative officer, Turner and Direct-to-Consumer. Because of his dual role, Reilly will report to both Turner president David Levy and WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey.
“Since joining Turner in 2015, Kevin has revitalized TBS and TNT with branding and content strategies that have helped them maintain their leading position with viewers week upon week. He has a reputation as a forward thinker when it comes to programming formats and cross-platform opportunities,” Stankey said in a memo Friday morning.
“In addition to Kevin’s current responsibilities, he and his organization will define the non-HBO original, library and licensed content that will characterize the brands that make up the overall product offer. HBO is an important differentiated and foundational element of our overall offering, and its brand and content will continue to be separate and supported entirely within HBO. A strong HBO is a key element as we work to establish our broader direct-to-consumer platform.”
Last month, longtime AT&T executive Brad Bentley was named general manager and executive VP of the service. Bentley will take care of the launch and the business side of the service, while Reilly will be tasked with building up the content.
WarnerMedia is expected to debut its streaming service in Q4 2019, offering three levels of subscriptions: An “entry-level movie-focused” package, a “premium service” with original programming and blockbuster movies and a third service that bundles content from the first two, plus a library of WarnerMedia and licensed content. Pricing for the tiers was not specified.
The company says that the upcoming SVOD service is intended to complement WarnerMedia’s existing businesses while providing data and analytics to help with their decision in creating future products. Along with WarnerMedia, Disney and Apple are also launching their own direct-to-consumer offerings in 2019 in what’s becoming the new gold rush for media companies.
Reilly first joined Turner from Fox in 2014 and is credited with turning around the two cable networks and building up their scripted originals slate with dramas like “The Alienist” and “Angie Tribeca.”
You can read Stankey’s full memo below:
There are three legs of a stool to any successful direct-to-consumer effort.
A winning customer experience made possible by the technology platform that enables form and function; a compelling marketing strategy that highlights the product’s attributes, brand promise and value proposition; and, of course, a content-curation vision that is tightly coordinated with the other two.
Today, I’d like to share our plans for defining and directing the third and final leg of our direct-to-consumer efforts and its executive leadership.
Kevin Reilly, President of TBS and TNT and Turner’s Chief Creative Officer will assume the additional responsibility of architecting the overall creative identity of the WarnerMedia direct-to-consumer offering and has been appointed President TBS, TNT and Chief Creative Officer Turner and Direct-to-Consumer. Kevin will report to David Levy, as well as to me in support of our direct-to-consumer development.
Since joining Turner in 2015, Kevin has revitalized TBS and TNT with branding and content strategies that have helped them maintain their leading position with viewers week upon week. He has a reputation as a forward thinker when it comes to programming formats and cross-platform opportunities. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that ‘The Alienist,’ which he brought to TNT, is up for two Golden Globes this year.
In addition to Kevin’s current responsibilities, he and his organization will define the non-HBO original, library and licensed content that will characterize the brands that make up the overall product offer. HBO is an important differentiated and foundational element of our overall offering, and its brand and content will continue to be separate and supported entirely within HBO. A strong HBO is a key element as we work to establish our broader direct-to-consumer platform.
As Kevin, Brad Bentley and Jeremy Legg begin to develop the framework for our service, many of you will have the opportunity to engage in the development of this product. Through their efforts and your collaboration, I am confident that we will bring to market a world class direct-to-consumer product that uses all of our assets in new and compelling ways.