Warner Bros Discovery said on Wednesday it wrote down the value of its TV assets due to the uncertainty of fees from cable and satellite distributors and sports rights renewals.
The film and entertainment studio, which owns sports network TNT and streaming service Max, recorded a $9.1 billion non-cash goodwill charge in the second quarter. This charge, stemming from a reassessment of the assets’ value since the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, contributed to a $10 billion net loss for the quarter, a Reuters report stated.
The media landscape has significantly changed in the past two years, impacting valuations and expectations for traditional media companies and this current situation is reflected in the write-down, CEO David Zaslav said in a call with analysts.
Asked whether the company was considering hiving off assets, CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels said on the call: “We’ve said before, you shouldn’t be surprised to see us engaging in you know, whatever M&A processes are going on out there.”
The shift of viewers from traditional television to streaming services has led to a decline in advertising revenue and affiliate fees, impacting the profitability of Warner Bros. Discovery‘s television assets. This decline is further compounded by the escalating costs of acquiring sports rights.
TNT failed to renew a broadcast deal with National Basketball Association games, at a time when live sports have become crucial for companies to increase viewership. The company sued the NBA last month. Losing the lawsuit would accelerate the decline of its TV business, analysts said.
TV channels steady, DTH shrinks; telecom, b’band subs up Jan-Mar quarter
MIFF premieres animated series on India’s women trailblazers
Network18 reaches 250mn TV viewers, crosses 65bn social video views: Akash Ambani
MIFF panel agrees youngsters driving documentary renaissance
At APOS, JioStar’s Chatterjee says India most demanding live sports market
Indian Govt says Telegram being monitored for content breaches
On ‘Tum Ho Naa…’, Khandelwal, contestant Priya share career anecdotes
Sony MAX to celebrate 25 years of Aamir Khan Productions
On ‘IBD’S5, Urmila recalls late Feroz Khan’s emotional praise
Actor Sai Tamhankar named brand ambassador for GS Tea 


