Skip to content
ATDbbeta
DZ

David Zaslav

Operator

David Zaslav is the former President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. He led the company from the $43 billion merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia in 2022 until October 6, 2026, when Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and he exited. At WBD he repositioned the streaming platform Max to prioritize ad-supported tiers, making it a significant destination for premium CTV ad inventory and competing with Netflix, Disney+, and Peacock for brand advertising dollars. Before the merger he spent over a decade as President and CEO of Discovery Communications, where he built a portfolio including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, and the Discovery Channel and championed data-driven advertising and audience targeting. His decisions around bundling, sports rights, and Max's ad tier shaped how a large pool of premium streaming inventory was packaged and sold.

Last updated Oct 6, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team

Role
Former President and CEO, Warner Bros. Discovery
Based
New York, New York, United States
Boards
2
Connections
2

AI-drafted from public sources7 sources cited

Years in industry
20 years

Bio

David Zaslav is the former President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. He led the company from the $43 billion merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia in 2022 until October 6, 2026, when Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and he exited. At WBD he repositioned the streaming platform Max to prioritize ad-supported tiers, making it a significant destination for premium CTV ad inventory and competing with Netflix, Disney+, and Peacock for brand advertising dollars. Before the merger he spent over a decade as President and CEO of Discovery Communications, where he built a portfolio including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, and the Discovery Channel and championed data-driven advertising and audience targeting. His decisions around bundling, sports rights, and Max's ad tier shaped how a large pool of premium streaming inventory was packaged and sold.

Career

Roles with a cited source. All linked roles are in the Roles tab.

Expertise & education

Expertise

Connected TV (CTV) AdvertisingStreaming MonetizationAVOD StrategyProgrammatic TVMedia M&AContent Licensing and DistributionAudience TargetingPremium Video Advertising

Education

  • JD, Boston University School of Law
  • BA, State University of New York at Binghamton

Speaking topics

The future of streaming and ad-supported videoMedia consolidation and M&A strategyCTV advertising and premium content monetizationSports rights and their role in streaming growthBalancing subscription and advertising revenue models

Recognition

Notable achievements

  • Orchestrated the $43 billion merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia to form Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022
  • Launched and scaled Max's ad-supported tier, growing it into a major CTV advertising platform
  • Secured landmark NBA broadcasting rights deal worth approximately $1.8 billion annually starting 2025
  • Grew Discovery Communications from a single-channel cable network into a global media company with 20+ networks during his tenure

Awards

Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame InducteeVariety Dealmakers Impact Report recognitionMultiple industry recognitions from NCTA and cable industry associations
Connection details