Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) reported disappointing fourth-quarter outcomes yesterday, revealing a internet lack of one other $2.1 billion, together with $217 million from its streaming division. That is regardless of the corporate touting the success of its new unique sequence “The Final of Us,” which averaged greater than 15 million viewers, and the lately launched Hogwarts Legacy online game, which garnered greater than $850 million in retail gross sales. in simply two weeks.

The corporate barely beat analyst estimates of almost $11.36 billion in income, incomes $11 billion, a big bounce from $9.82 billion in Q3 2022. Moreover, the streaming section elevated up 6% in income to $2.45 billion, beating Wall Road forecasts of $2.39 billion.

Moreover, the corporate didn’t beat subscriber estimates, including simply 1.1 million subscribers throughout HBO, HBO Max, and Discovery+, versus anticipated internet additions of 1.6 million, bringing the brand new whole to 96.1. tens of millions. WBD additionally missed expectations final quarter, gaining simply 2.8 million subscribers as a substitute of the anticipated internet addition of three.27 million. WBD nonetheless trails streaming big Netflix, which boasts 230 million international subscribers.

The brand new addition of HBO Max subscribers was primarily because of the streaming service’s return to Amazon Prime Video Channels, in addition to the debut of standard exhibits like “The Final of Us” and the second season of “The White Lotus,” which gained 10 Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes. The corporate lately introduced that “The Final of Us” would have a second season.

Nevertheless, HBO Max and Discovery+ have but to grow to be worthwhile for WBD, placing it in the identical boat as different media corporations. Netflix, however, has made a revenue.

On the brilliant aspect, WBD CEO David Zaslav informed buyers that the merger-related restructuring is lastly full. Over the previous 10 months, the corporate has carried out layoffs together with many film and TV present cancellations to scale back its mountain of debt.

“We took daring and decisive steps within the final 10 months, and most of our restructuring is behind us. Now we have full command and management of our enterprise, and we are actually one firm. Now we have a unbelievable management crew that retains us transferring ahead, all rowing in the identical path. And collectively, we’re centered on making our companies higher and stronger,” Zaslav mentioned throughout the earnings name. “Final yr was a yr of restructuring. 2023 will likely be a yr of development”.

Talking of the merger, Zaslav introduced that the brand new HBO Max/Discovery+ streaming service would launch within the coming months. The corporate will reveal extra particulars on April 12 throughout a particular press occasion.

He additionally confirmed that Discovery+ would stay a standalone service for patrons who need to proceed paying the cheaper price of $4.99 per thirty days. In the meantime, HBO Max will nonetheless be bundled with Discovery+ content material. Final month, WBD elevated the value of HBO Max’s ad-free plan for the primary time, growing the associated fee from $14.99 to $15.99 per thirty days.

Now that WBD is finished with the restructuring, it may possibly deal with increasing its catalog of unique content material. For instance, Zaslav revealed thrilling information for followers of “The Lord of the Rings” by asserting that Warner Bros. Studios has reached an settlement to make a number of movies based mostly on the franchise.

The corporate will even “benefit from” its different IPs, together with “Superman,” “Batman” and “Harry Potter,” Zaslav mentioned.

Just lately, DC Studios co-chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran shared their prime 10 upcoming movie and tv tasks, together with “Superman: Legacy,” “The Batman – Half II,” “Supergirl: Lady of Tomorrow,” and extra.

“I feel we now have an awesome benefit out there with the mental property that we personal,” Zaslav added. “Now we have the strongest hand within the trade, with probably the most complete portfolio of world-renowned storytelling property and franchises, personalities and mental property in sports activities, information, nonfiction and leisure, in just about each area of the world and in all of the languages”.

The titles that can arrive this yr are “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”, which is able to hit theaters on March 17; “The Flash,” which is able to debut this summer time on June 16; and “Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom,” starring Jason Momoa, which opens on December 25. Different films embody the “Barbie” film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, “Dune: Half Two” and Timothée Chalamet in “Wonka.”

Yesterday, forward of the earnings name, HBO introduced that it has ordered an unique sequence from Max impressed by “IT” referred to as “Welcome to Derry,” which will likely be a prequel to the 2017 film “IT” and “IT Chapter Two.”