POST Posts: A Vesting, Um, Vexing Question, December 2022

NOTE: This article was originally published at POST under the title "Finding Logic in Illogical Vestments" on December 5, 2022.  Still, as the old adage goes, "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (The more things change, the more they remain the same)." -jh

 I've been thinking about something about Warner Bros Discovery for a while, and while I've said I'm not going to talk about the inner workings of the company, it's a question that vexes me and must be asked about the future of the land of the Vestman when it comes to syndicating and distributing their programs.

David Zaslav, the head of the company who will be referred to as the Vestman because he really likes his vests and gave them away as a parting gift to recently-fired WBD and CNN employees, has been on the record as saying that shows produced by Warner Bros Discovery don't necessarily have to air on WBD-owned outlets including HBO Max, TBS, TNT, and Cartoon Network. Considering WB has been producing and syndicating shows since 1955, this is a moot, myopic point. Honestly, how does the head of a media juggernaut not know what his company has done over the decades?

WB still produces and syndicates programming for nearly every broadcast and cable channel and streaming service, including rivals Netflix, Peacock, Prime Video, Paramount+, Hulu, and Disney+ as well as various FAST/AVOD services.

That said, considering WBD's strategy is to put more of their original and library programming on third-party outlets, I have to ask these questions:

Where are the deals for the Discovery-produced shows, and where's the push to put those on other outlets?

Using the same logic the Vestman has pushed on the public, it would be advantageous for WBD to put as many of their shows outside of the linear and streaming outlets owned by WBD. Naturally, this should include shows that air on Discovery networks and Discovery+.

And I'm not talking about the Z-list titles in Discovery's bloated library either. I know a few of those have found spots on Pluto TV's Spike TV channels.

I'm talking about some of their popular shows. The ones they keep renewing. The ones that keep the lights on at Discovery.

Why isn't Fixer Upper or Property Brothers on Hallmark Channel? Why couldn't Lifetime air Dr. Pimple Popper or The Barefoot Contessa? You know Disney+ or Nick would be a great place for The Crocodile Hunter, Mythbusters, Good Eats, and those Kids Baking Challenge specials. Bravo would have a ball with House Hunters, My Lottery Dream Home, and 90-Day Fiancé.

Again, using the logic and language of the Vestman and the higher-ups at WBD, there's no reason to keep that programming exclusively on the Discovery networks and Discovery+ (both of which has largely remained intact and free from the Vestman’s bloody ax while actually getting MORE money and resources added compared to the former WarnerMedia units) when they could easily air on third-party outlets.

But you already know why they're not doing that.

Discovery wants you to watch Discovery-produced shows on Discovery-owned outlets and ONLY on Discovery-owned outlets.

Warner Bros-produced shows? DC shows? Cartoon Network-produced shows?

Why, you could throw them anywhere. Just not on WB-owned networks and streaming services. A Discovery-produced show on a Discovery-owned channel makes sense, but who really needs to see Cartoon Network shows ON Cartoon Network when you could put a Cartoon Network show on a competing channel or streamer instead?

I swear, the logic with this company is so moronic at times. Consider this:

You’re more likely to see Gumball on Netflix but you’re never going to see Cuphead on Cartoon Network. You might find Batman: Caped Crusader on Prime Video but you’ll never find The Boys on HBO. Disney+/Hulu could get something like, for example, an Infinity Train revival but HBO Max will never get Marvel’s What If.

Oh, and another thing.

When it comes to Discovery-created programming (again, I'm talking about Discovery, not Warner Bros), nobody wants that crap.

"But the ratings are good."

Nielsen reporting is skewed, inaccurate, biased, classist, and undercuts a LOT of viewers. Always have been, always will be. Besides, Nielsen measures television viewership in an era when DVR and streaming dominate the media. Live viewership isn’t the norm and shouldn’t be the final judge when it comes to who’s watching something.

That’s why I don’t give a damn about weekly ratings charts, and you shouldn’t either.

"But Discovery+ is doing fine."

Is it though?

Discovery+ serves a very niche market at best, kind of like Britbox, Boomerang, and Crunchyroll. Plus, many folks were more comfortable with the Discovery GO slate of services accessible with their cable accounts at no extra charge.

Discovery+ pretty much bundled everything the Discovery GO channels had and put a $5 monthly tag on something they were once getting alongside their cable service. For a few bucks more, you get no commercials.

As I said, Discovery+ serves a very niche market at best. So why would WBD force that market with something they clearly don't want?

Not all Discovery+ customers want HBO Max programming just like not all HBO Max customers want Discovery+ programming. If Discovery+ was doing so well, WBD would not only showcase and highlight those numbers as opposed to combining them with HBO/HBO Max (85 million combined domestic subscribers sounds a lot better than 80 million HBO/HBO Max subscribers and 5 million Discovery+ subscribers) nor try to rush to combine the two services into one chimera of a service.

They think they’re getting Captain America when they’re actually getting The Fly.

The Vestman really doesn't care. He has already exposed his hand to the world. He wants cheaply made, less diverse, less progressive, non-union, less creative products from Warner Bros Discovery and is more than willing to demoralize and eliminate an entire creative unit to do so. We’re seeing him completely destroy the consumer and critical reputation and creative goodwill of HBO Max in order to make Discovery+ look good by comparison.

Maybe I’m being too defeatist and pessimistic about the future of Warner Bros Discovery. Then again, after seeing how half of the company is being treated compared to the other half, there is favoritism at work, and the hypocrisy of the company is blinding.