CNN and HBO Max to Part Ways After Major Warner Bros. Shakeup

HBO Max will soon be splitting from CNN after parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announced it will be breaking up into two separate publicly traded companies, one focused around streaming and the other on traditional television broadcasting. “The separation aims to provide each company with greater strategic flexibility and focus,” the company announced Monday in a statement, adding it expects the split to be completed by mid-2026. Under the new plans, the first studio, called Streaming and Studios, will be run by current Warner Bros. CEO David Zazlav, while the second, known as Global Networks, will be helmed by the company’s current CFO, Gunnar Wiedenfels. The move comes as part of a strategy to appease shareholders who wish to invest in HBO Max without exposure to traditional broadcast media. “This evolution isn’t a departure from our strategy—to deploy Max globally, optimize our global networks and return our Studios to industry leadership—it’s about unlocking the full potential of two strong businesses,” Zazlav told staff in a memo. “Each has a distinct focus, a clear mission, and the scale to succeed on its own terms.”