WarnerMedia considering splitting its assets into two companies, one for IP and streaming, one for linear channels

[Jman]

My guess is Zaslav would leave all the Warner-owned cable networks with endless debt and start anew as a leaner, IP focused service.

[Top Gun]

Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?

[Jman]

2 minutes ago, Top Gun said:

Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?

More like taking the lifeboats and leaving the cable outlets to their grim watery fate if I'm reading this correctly.  

[OwlChemist81]

As long as cable also includes sports, it would do OK.

[Mr. Idea Box]

I guess any WB property that would get a revival or new project would have to be on a streaming service only, assuming this is true. Let's hope the linear channel half is what Discovery becomes in this instance.

[Sketch]

Now this? THIS could legit kill Toonami, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim.

Here's the scenario...

Warner Bros. Studios and Max split off from the cable business entirely taking all the IPs and leaving the Cartoon Network under Discovery Networks with the scraps (if even that). A situation where every single program has to be sublicensed from the split off company. And most of the debt gets passed to the cable network company. You know how hard it is to get Warner to play nice with Adult Swim and Cartoon Network and charge out the nose for various WB productions. Imagine that but potentially 10 times worse and the network would have even less money to pay those hefty sublicensing fees with. At that point they're setting up the kids TV business to die drowning in the debt so that the studio and streaming business can dig itself out of the hole AT&T made. I can't even imagine how CN/AS will function if there's nothing they can air for "free" anymore (obviously royalties get paid for every airing but you know what I mean).

A potentially positive outcome is if CN and Adult Swim (and Toonami with it) are split off from the rest of the cable networks and kept in the studio and streaming side. That would potentially mean they not only survive but they also get to use more WB programming. But even in that scenario they're setting up the linear network to bite the dust in favor of Max. If they value the linear network enough then maybe that could work out in Adult Swim's favor but the only cable networks Zaslav values are Discovery's lot, CNN and the channels that run sports (TNT/TBS).

And here's hoping whatever the situation ends up being doesn't also kill TCM.

Edited July 21 by Sketch

[PokeNirvash]

Okay, no. I do not need to hear "it's over Toonami is finished" talk from fucking Sketch of all people. Even if it is more reasonable and far more dire than typical "it's over Toonami is finished" talk.

The sooner I'm locked out of this thread for my own mental comfort, the better.

Edited July 21 by PokeNirvash
Removed call-out.

[Toonamiguy321]

Doom investors when Sketch gives an honest “it’s over” scenario. 
 

Of course, this isn’t the kind of change that happens in a day, but I wonder if the current state of the block is telling of an impending future where they just throw in the towel on the network. Toonami not getting acquired content would be one of the first warning signs. 

[Otakuninja9000]

US Animation is cooked.

[[classic swim]]

When is Zaslav gonna pull down his pants and forcibly fuck Demarco’s fat crusty shit ass?