Warner Bros. Discovery pops after reports of a possible company split
WBD dropped mixed Q1 results, but streaming scored big.
Warner Bros. Discovery shares jumped over 4% Wednesday after a report from CNBC said the company may split its traditional cable business from its popular streaming platforms.
The report landed shortly after the company dropped Q1 results. The company posted a loss of $0.18 per share, slightly better than the $0.19 loss analysts expected. Revenue fell 9% to $8.9 billion, missing Wall Street’s $9.5 billion forecast.
WBD’s studio revenue dropped 18% to $2.31 billion amid a lull in box office hits following blockbusters like “Dune: Part Two” and “Godzilla x Kong.” Analysts were expecting $2.82 billion. But the current quarter could get a boost from recent releases like “A Minecraft Movie” and vampire thriller “Sinners,” which combined have grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
On the bright side, streaming stole the show. Revenue for the category rose 8% to $2.6 billion, while Max and Discovery+ racked up 5.4 million new subscribers, beating forecasts and outpacing rivals streamers like Disney+. Warner Bros. Discovery is targeting 150 million subscribers by the end of 2026 and gearing up to roll out a password-sharing crackdown.
Warner Bros. Discovery shares are down roughly 16% year to date.