Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) has made headlines on a near-weekly basis as its CEO David Zaslav restructures the company to prioritize profits and pay down a looming debt. Building on this, recent reports state that Zaslav has decided to focus on releasing films theatrically rather than debuting new titles on the company's streaming service, HBO Max.
The move has the potential to maximize revenue while continuing to make inroads in the streaming industry. Let's assess.
The COVID-19 lockdowns and theater closures prevalent throughout 2020 and 2021 led WarnerMedia to adopt various release strategies to boost its newest films, to the detriment of box-office revenue. Blockbusters such as Wonder Woman 1984 , Dune , and The Suicide Squad received a hybrid release in which the films premiered in theaters and HBO Max on the same day and were only available on the streaming service for one month.
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This Could Be a Game-Changer for Warner Bros. Discovery. Time to Buy?