Kevin Reilly is building out the team for WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service, naming TNT executive Sarah Aubrey to serve as head of originals.
“I’m naming my longtime colleague Sarah Aubrey to Head of Original Content, reporting to me,” Reilly said in a memo to staff. “In this position Sarah will oversee all original series and feature films for the new service.” Meanwhile, TBS’ Brett Weitz has been promoted to general manager of both TBS and TNT. Last month Reilly was given creative oversight of the upcoming streaming offering, being named as chief creative officer.
WarnerMedia is expected to debut its streaming service in Q4 2019, offering three levels of subscriptions: An “entry-level movie-focused” package, a “premium service” with original programming and blockbuster movies and a third service that bundles content from the first two, plus a library of WarnerMedia and licensed content. Pricing for the tiers was not specified.
Aubrey most recently was executive vice president of originals at TNT, first joining in 2015. She has worked very closely with Reilly as they built up TNT’s scripted fare into an awards player, most recently with “The Alienist,” and helped to launch the Chris Pine-fronted “I Am the Night,” which is executive produced by “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins. For Weitz, the promotion adds TNT to his purview after serving as exec vice president of programming at TBS .
Read Reilly’s full memo to staff below:
Today I am very pleased to announce two key executive moves to position us moving forward.
First relating to the new WarnerMedia streaming service, I’m naming my longtime colleague Sarah Aubrey to Head of Original Content, reporting to me. In this position Sarah will oversee all original series and feature films for the new service.
Sarah will collaborate closely with her counterparts across Turner, HBO and Warner Bros. as we prepare for launch later this year and soon build out a new slate of distinctive originals for the service. In addition, Sarah will continue to oversee her existing pipeline of TNT dramas during this transition.
Sarah and I have had a close working relationship since we collaborated on Friday Night Lights at NBC. She was one of my first recruits to join me at Turner, and her stellar evolution of the TNT brand as well as her reputation as a talent-friendly executive with great taste and finesse underscores the values we’ll prioritize on this new platform.
Secondly for Turner, Brett Weitz is being promoted to General Manager of TBS and TNT, reporting to me. In his new role Brett will oversee all scripted, and unscripted programming, as well as manage the networks’ scheduling, marketing and business affairs in close collaboration with Michael Quigley, Michael Engleman and Sandra Dewey.
The reinvigoration of the TBS brand under Brett’s leadership could not have delivered better results. From assembling a top-notch team to fostering relationships with established and emerging creative partners, Brett built TBS into a true force in original comedy with a series of ratings successes and awards.
Brett and I have established a shorthand and deep level of trust over the past four years and David and I are fully confident this level of execution will continue for both TBS and TNT.
Please join me in congratulating both Sarah and Brett!
Thanks,
Kevin