David Zaslav, president and chief executive officer of the newly-merged Warner Bros. Discovery, has high hopes for “House of the Dragon,” and touted the series in an email to staffers Friday.
In his message to the team, obtained by TheWrap, Zaslav praised HBO boss Casey Bloys, and the premium cable network’s team that are behind “HOTD,” which premieres this Sunday night on HBO.
“[They] have shepherded what looks to be the next big cultural moment,” Zaslav wrote. “I had a chance to watch the premiere in Los Angeles with Casey and the team and was blown away by the quality of the production, richness of the story, and power of the action. It is something we should all be really proud of, and we cannot wait to share it with audiences worldwide.”
Zaslav said the marketing campaign for the show — from creators Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin and co-showrunners Condal and “Game of Thrones” alum Miguel Sapochnik — was the largest in the network’s history, reaching 130 million people in the U.S. TheWrap has learned the company’s marketing investment topped $100 million.
“It has also been exciting to see teams across the company work collaboratively with the HBO team in what has been an unprecedented cross-promotional campaign. And we’ve done all of this in just a few short months, clearly showing what we can accomplish when our networks, streaming platforms, digital and social channels, all work collectively in support of one shared priority,” he shared. “We can really move the needle and I can’t wait to see what we will do on future campaigns when we harness the full reach and unique opportunities we bring to the table.”
The CEO said the campaign highlighted the company’s aim of “building one team with one mission.”
“We look forward to the start of this exciting new adventure, and to thrilling fans with the kind of buzzworthy cultural moments the Targaryen family is sure to deliver. Enjoy the weekend and hope you tune in on Sunday,” he wrote, adding in a plug for the show, which premieres at 9 p.m. ET (and streams on HBO Max).
