Television

Warner Bros. Discovery Chooses Internal Team to Lead Ad Sales

Warner Bros. Discovery has chosen a homegrown team to lead the company’s ad-sales staff into an increasingly complex era.

Ryan Gould and Robert Voltaggio, two senior sales executives who have worked at the media conglomerate for more than a decade, will join to manage efforts to connect advertisers to everything from the Max streaming service to cable networks such Food Network and CNN.

Both executives will report to Bruce Campbell, chief revenue and strategy officer of Warner Bros. Discovery, and both will hold the title of president of U.S. advertising sales. Gould will specialize in outreach to clients and agencies, while Voltaggio, known as “Bobby,” will play a key role in pricing and monetization efforts.

Related Stories

“We had a very strong pool of external applicants for this role, but given the rapidly evolving advertising market, we also recognized the need to fundamentally change how we service our clients and agency partners,” said Campbell, in a prepared statement. “Ryan and Bobby have been instrumental leaders in driving our business since the merger, and are innovative, decisive, and team-oriented in all that they do. They will take our existing, strong foundation and reshape our overall sales strategy.  These changes will be transformative to our business.”

Popular on Variety

The new structure becomes effective immediately. The executives succeed Jon Steinlauf, an ad-sales veteran who came to Warner Bros. Discovery when the predecessor company Discovery Communications acquired the Scripps cable networks, and rose to a leadership role based on his experience and facility with offering packages across the conglomerate’s widening portfolio.

Gould and Voltaggio will face challenges almost immediately. Warner Bros. Discovery will lose its NBA rights after the end of the current season, and the company will have to make a strong case to advertisers who want the broad and steady audiences that sport brings. Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon will all be working to attract millions of dollars in advertising that has regularly supported not only NBA games on TNT, but also the popular studio program “Inside the NBA,” which features basketball great Charles Barkley. Disney’s ESPN will run some editions of that program next season.

The Warner portfolio has seen some of its value eroded. Many of the company’s top cable networks suffer from continuing ratings declines. Warner Bros. Discovery last year took a $9.1 billion write-down on the value of its cable portfolio, which also includes TBS, HGTV and Discovery Channel.

Such dynamics may have dissuaded some candidates from applying for the role. Warner Bros. Discovery reached out to senior ad-sales executives at many of its rivals, according to people familiar with the matter, hoping to lure a veteran to its fold, but was rebuffed in at least three instances.

Gould has valuable experience working to bring advertisers to Max, a critical role as more top marketers seek to align their pitches with the growing audience for streaming. Earlier this week, Gould unveiled a new suite of sponsors tied to the third season of “The White Lotus,” an HBO series that does not contain advertising when shown on the traditional premium cable service. On Max, however, the new cycle of the show has won ad dollars from American Express, Diageo, Google and others.

He joined Warner in 2012, when the unit once known as Turner Broadcasting purchased Bleacher Report, where he was director of sales. Gould was named to lead streaming, digital and advanced advertising sales and client partnerships in 2023.  

VIP+ Analysis: The Time Bomb Ticking Beneath the CTV Advertising Boom

Voltaggio, meanwhile, doesn’t have a typical sales background. He has largely focused on crucial back-of-the-house operations, such as ad pricing and implementation of sales strategies. But he has developed credibility over time with Warner’s top executives, according to people familiar with the matter, and has often demonstrated an ability to speak candidly with David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO who has been known to insert himself into ad-sales negotiations, putting heavy pressure on the company’s staff to push clients for ad commitments and pricing that have in recent years been seen as overreaching. Voltaggio’s presence at the top could be seen as a means of shielding ad-sales staffers from Zaslav’s pressure.

The executive joined Discovery in 2005, and was promoted to head of revenue and operations in 2019.. He began his career at AMC Networks in 2002.

Gould, Voltaggio and Campbell are all expected to appear at Warner Bros. Discovery’s “upfront” presentation to advertisers in May, when U.S. media companies try to sell the bulk of their advertising inventory to Madison Avenue.

Articles You May Like

Spanish Star-Studded Psychological Thriller ‘Shades’ Heads Beta Film’s EFM Slate, as It Acquires Bulgaria’s ‘Shattered Bonds’ (EXCLUSIVE) 
NBA All-Star Game to Feature Bay Area Musical Tribute With Raphael Saadiq, E-40, Saweetie, DJ Cassidy and More
Jon Batiste Sings Jazzy National Anthem at Super Bowl: Watch 
Javier Bardem Drama ‘The Beloved’ From Director Rodrigo Sorogoyen Heading to EFM With Goodfellas (EXCLUSIVE)
‘Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ Sets Maggie Betts as Director After Leslye Headland Departs Netflix Adaptation

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *