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Item 1. Business.

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Item 1. Business.

For convenience, the terms “Warner Bros. Discovery”, “WBD”, the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” are used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to refer to both Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. and collectively to Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. and one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

Merger with the WarnerMedia Business of AT&T

On April 8, 2022 (the “Closing Date”), Discovery, Inc. (“Discovery”) completed its merger (the “Merger”) with the WarnerMedia business (the “WarnerMedia Business”, “WM Business” or “WM”) of AT&T Inc. (“AT&T”) and changed its name to Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. On April 11, 2022, the Company’s shares started trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) under the trading symbol WBD.

The Merger was executed through a Reverse Morris Trust type transaction, under which WM was distributed to AT&T’s shareholders via a pro rata distribution, and immediately thereafter, combined with Discovery. (See Note 3 and Note 4 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements). Prior to the Merger, WarnerMedia Holdings, Inc. (“WMH”) distributed $40.5 billion to AT&T (subject to working capital and other adjustments) in a combination of cash, debt securities, and WM’s retention of certain debt. Discovery transferred purchase consideration of $42.4 billion in equity to AT&T shareholders in the Merger. In August 2022, the Company and AT&T finalized the post-closing working capital settlement process, which resulted in the Company receiving a $1.2 billion payment from AT&T in the third quarter of 2022 in lieu of adjusting the equity issued as consideration in the Merger. AT&T shareholders received shares of WBD Series A common stock (“WBD common stock”) in the Merger representing 71% of the combined Company and the Company’s pre-Merger shareholders continued to own 29% of the combined Company, in each case on a fully diluted basis.

Discovery was deemed to be the accounting acquirer of the WM Business for accounting purposes under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”); therefore, Discovery is considered the Company’s predecessor and the historical financial statements of Discovery prior to April 8, 2022, are reflected in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as the Company’s historical financial statements. Accordingly, the financial results of the Company as of and for any periods prior to April 8, 2022 do not include the financial results of the WM Business and current and future results will not be comparable to results prior to the Merger.

Industry Trends

The WGA and SAG-AFTRA went on strike in May and July 2023, respectively, following the expiration of their respective collective bargaining agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (“AMPTP”). The WGA strike ended on September 27, 2023, and a new collective bargaining agreement was ratified on October 9, 2023. The SAG-AFTRA strike ended on November 9, 2023, and a new collective bargaining agreement was ratified on December 5, 2023.

The strikes had a material impact on the operations and results of the Company, including a pause on certain theatrical and television productions. Effects included a positive impact on cash flow from operations attributed to delayed production spend, and a negative impact on the results of operations attributed to timing and performance of the 2023 film slate, as well as the Company’s ability to produce, license, and deliver content.

Other headwinds in the industry, such as continued pressures on linear distribution and soft advertising markets in the U.S., have had, and are expected to continue to have, a material impact on the operations and results of the Company, including a negative impact on the results of operations attributed to declines in linear advertising revenue.

We continue to closely monitor the ongoing impact of industry trends to our business; however, the full effects on our operations and results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.

Description of Business

Warner Bros. Discovery is a premier global media and entertainment company that provides audiences with a differentiated portfolio of content, brands and franchises across television, film, streaming, and gaming. Some of our iconic brands and franchises include Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, DC, HBO, HBO Max, Max, discovery+, CNN, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TNT Sports, TBS, TLC, OWN, Warner Bros. Games, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Harry Potter, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, Game of Thrones, and The Lord of the Rings.

We are home to powerful creative engines and one of the largest collections of owned content in the world. WBD has one of the strongest hands in the industry in terms of the completeness and quality of assets and intellectual property across sports, news, lifestyle, and entertainment in virtually every region of the globe and in most languages. We serve audiences and consumers around the world with content that informs, entertains, and, when at its best, inspires.

Our asset mix positions us to drive a balanced approach to creating long-term value for shareholders. It represents the full entertainment ecosystem, and the ability to serve consumers across the entire spectrum of offerings from domestic and international networks, premium pay-TV, streaming, production and release of feature films and original series, related consumer products and themed experience licensing, and interactive gaming.

We generate revenue from the sale of advertising on our networks and digital platforms (advertising revenue); fees charged to distributors that carry our network brands and programming, including cable, direct-to-home (“DTH”) satellite, telecommunication and digital service providers, as well as through direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) subscription services (distribution revenue); the release of feature films for initial exhibition in theaters, the licensing of feature films and television programs to various television, subscription video on demand (“SVOD”) and other digital markets, distribution of feature films and television programs in the physical and digital home entertainment markets, sales of console games and mobile in-game content, sublicensing of sports rights, and licensing of intellectual property such as characters and brands (content revenue); and other sources such as studio tours and production services (other revenue).

Segments

As of December 31, 2023, we classified our operations in three reportable segments:

  • Studios** - Our Studios segment primarily consists of the production and release of feature films for initial exhibition in theaters, production and initial licensing of television programs to our networks/DTC services as well as third parties, distribution of our films and television programs to various third party and internal television and streaming services, distribution through the home entertainment market (physical and digital), related consumer products and themed experience licensing, and interactive gaming.

  • Networks** - Our Networks segment primarily consists of our domestic and international television networks.

  • DTC** - Our DTC segment primarily consists of our premium pay-TV and streaming services.

Our segment presentation aligns with our management structure and the financial information management uses to make decisions about operating matters, such as the allocation of resources and business performance assessments. Financial information for our segments and the geographical areas in which we do business is set forth in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Note 23 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Studios

WBD’s Studios business includes the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group (“WBMPG”), DC Studios, Warner Bros. Television Group (“WBTVG”), Consumer Products, Themed Entertainment and Brand Licensing, DC Comics Publishing, Content Licensing, Home Entertainment, Studio Operations, and Interactive Gaming.

WBMPG is comprised of Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. WBMPG partners with captivating storytellers to create filmed entertainment for a global audience.

DC Studios, tasked with developing properties licensed from DC Comics for film, television and animation, continues the tradition of high-quality storytelling within the DC Universe, while building a sustainable growth business out of the iconic characters.

WBTVG consists of Warner Bros. Television, the Company’s flagship television production unit for live-action scripted programming, as well as Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, which produces unscripted and alternative programming through its four production units – Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, Telepictures, Warner Bros. International Television Production, and Shed Media. WBTVG also includes Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.

Among the Studios segment’s content highlights for 2023 were Barbie, the #1 movie of the year globally based on worldwide gross revenue*, Wonka, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,* and The Nun II on the film side and award-winning TV titles including Abbott Elementary, Ted Lasso, Night Court, Shrinking, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, The Golden Bachelor, and The Voice.

Beyond its production operations, the Studios segment includes various businesses that facilitate consumer interaction with the intellectual property it creates.

Global Consumer Products, Themed Entertainment and Brand Licensing, and world-renowned comic and publishing powerhouse DC Comics, all drive opportunities for consumers to engage with WBD’s leading entertainment brands and franchises.

Global distribution of most of WBD’s content is handled by Content Sales, which provides content for viewers across streaming, cable, satellite and broadcast networks, local television stations, and airlines. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment oversees the global distribution of content through physical goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online, and mobile channels.

The Studios segment also includes Warner Bros. Games, a worldwide publisher, developer, licensor, and distributor of content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile, and PC-based gaming for both internal and third-party game titles. Based on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter franchise, Warner Bros. Games launched Hogwarts Legacy in 2023, which became the #1 game of the year globally.

Part of the Worldwide Studio Operations group, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood attract visitors from around the world, giving fans the opportunity to get closer to the entertainment they love. In June of 2023, the Worldwide Studios Operations group opened the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter, a new experience that was the first Warner Bros. Studio Tour to open in Asia.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, content and other revenues were 93% and 7%, respectively, of total revenues for this segment.

Networks

WBD’s linear network operations include general entertainment, lifestyle, and news networks in the U.S., as well as a host of international media networks and global sports networks.

General entertainment networks in the U.S. include TNT, cable’s #1 entertainment network; TBS, a top-rated destination for television among young adults; and Turner Classic Movies. WBD’s other entertainment networks include OWN, Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and truTV among many others.

Leading the lifestyle category are Magnolia Network, comprised of a collection of inspiring original series curated by Chip and Joanna Gaines featuring some of the U.S.’s most talented names in home and design, food, gardening, and the arts; HGTV, with relatable stories, real estate and renovation experts and home transformations; and Food Network, which connects viewers to the power and joy of food. Additional lifestyle networks include Travel Channel, Science Channel, TLC, and Hogar de HGTV among many others.

In 2023, CNN, our global news brand, launched CNN Max in the U.S., giving audiences the ability to access a combination of on-air CNN content and exclusive programming on WBD’s streaming service, Max.

WBD Sports (rebranded in January 2024 as TNT Sports) is a global leader in premium sports content across multiple platforms, engaging fans in the U.S. and internationally. TNT Sports’ U.S. sports rights include the National Basketball Association (“NBA”), Major League Baseball (“MLB”), National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”), National Hockey League (“NHL”), and United States Soccer Federation (“USSF”). WBD Sports Europe features Eurosport, a leading sport destination and the home of the Olympic Games in Europe, as well as the Global Cycling Network (“GCN”), and Global Mountain Bike Network (“GMBN”).

TNT Sports’ owned-and-operated platforms include Bleacher Report, Eurosport.com, House of Highlights, HighlightHER, and a full suite of digital and social brands. In 2023, WBD exited its regional sports business (“AT&T SportsNets”) in the U.S.

In addition to the global networks described above, we operate networks internationally. TVN operates a portfolio of free-to-air and pay-TV lifestyle, entertainment, and news networks in Poland.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, distribution, advertising, content, and other revenues were 54%, 39%, 5%, and 2%, respectively, of total revenues for this segment.

DTC

WBD’s DTC business includes our streaming services, such as Max, HBO Max, and discovery+, and premium pay-TV services, such as HBO. Our streaming services are available on most mobile and connected TV devices. As of December 31, 2023, we had 97.7 million DTC subscribers1.

HBO is one of the most respected and innovative entertainment brands in the world, serving iconic, award-winning programming through the HBO linear channels and our DTC streaming service, Max.

In May 2023, WBD launched Max, creating a new destination for HBO Originals, Warner Bros. films, Max Originals, the DC universe, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, CNN, an expansive offering of kids’ content, and among the best programming across food, home, reality, lifestyle and documentaries from leading brands like HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID and more. Max initially launched in the U.S. and will roll out in international territories, starting in Latin America and the Caribbean in the first quarter of 2024, with more markets in EMEA and APAC to follow later in the year.

discovery+ is WBD’s non-fiction, real-life subscription-based streaming service. discovery+ features a wide range of exclusive, original series across popular passion verticals, including lifestyle and relationships; home and food; true crime; paranormal; adventure and natural history; science, tech, and the environment; and a slate of high-quality documentaries.

Max, HBO Max, and discovery+ currently feature both ad-free and ad-lite versions.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, distribution, advertising, and content revenues are 86%, 5%, and 9%, respectively, of total revenues for this segment.

COMPETITION

Providing content across various distribution platforms is a highly competitive business worldwide. We experience competition for the development and acquisition of content, distribution of our content, sale of commercial time on our networks and viewership. There is competition from other production studios, other television networks, and online-based content providers for the acquisition of content and creative talent such as writers, producers and directors. In addition, the composition of our competitors has evolved with the entrance of new market participants, including companies in adjacent sectors with significant financial, marketing, and other resources, greater efficiencies of scale, fewer regulatory burdens and more competitive pricing. Our ability to produce and acquire popular content is an important competitive factor for the distribution of our content, attracting viewers and the sale of advertising. Our success in securing popular content and creative talent depends on various factors such as the number of competitors providing content that targets the same genre and audience, the distribution of our content, viewership, and the production, marketing and advertising support we provide.

Our networks compete with other television networks, including broadcast, cable and local, for the distribution of our content and fees charged to cable television operators, DTH satellite service providers, and other distributors that carry our content. Our ability to secure distribution agreements is necessary to ensure the retention of our audiences. Our contractual agreements with distributors are renewed or renegotiated from time to time in the ordinary course of business. Growth in the number of networks distributed, consolidation and other market conditions in the cable and satellite distribution industry, and increased popularity of other platforms may adversely affect our ability to obtain and maintain contractual terms for the distribution of our content that are as favorable as those currently in place. The ability to secure distribution agreements is dependent upon the production, acquisition and packaging of content, viewership, the marketing and advertising support and incentives provided to distributors, the product offering across a series of networks within a region, and the prices charged for carriage.

1 Direct-to-Consumer subscriber - We define a “Core DTC Subscription” as:

(i) a retail subscription to discovery+, HBO, HBO Max, Max, or a Premium Sports Product (defined below) for which we have recognized subscription revenue, whether directly or through a third party, from a direct-to-consumer platform; (ii) a wholesale subscription to discovery+, HBO, HBO Max, Max, or a Premium Sports Product for which we have recognized subscription revenue from a fixed-fee arrangement with a third party and where the individual user has activated their subscription; (iii) a wholesale subscription to discovery+, HBO, HBO Max, Max, or a Premium Sports Product for which we have recognized subscription revenue on a per subscriber basis; (iv) a retail or wholesale subscription to an independently-branded, regional product sold on a stand-alone basis that includes discovery+, HBO, HBO Max, Max, and/or a Premium Sports Product, for which we have recognized subscription revenue (as per (i)-(iii) above); and (v) users on free trials who convert to a subscription for which we have recognized subscription revenue within the first seven days of the calendar month immediately following the month in which their free trial expires.

The Company defines a “Premium Sports Product” as a strategically prioritized, sports-focused product sold on a stand-alone basis and made available directly to consumers. The current “independently-branded, regional products” referred to in (iv) above consist of TVN/Player and BluTV. We may refer to the aggregate number of DTC Subscriptions as “subscribers”.

The reported number of “subscribers” included herein and the definition of “DTC Subscription” as used herein excludes: (i) individuals who subscribe to DTC products, other than discovery+, HBO, HBO Max, Max, a Premium Sports Product, and independently-branded, regional products (currently consisting of TVN/Player and BluTV) that may be offered by us or by certain joint venture partners or affiliated parties from time to time; (ii) a limited number of international discovery+ subscribers that are part of non-strategic partnerships or short-term arrangements as may be identified by the Company from time to time; (iii) domestic and international Cinemax subscribers, and international basic HBO subscribers; and (iv) users on free trials except for those users on free trial that convert to a DTC Subscription within the first seven days of the next month as noted above.

Our networks and streaming services, which include Max, HBO Max, and discovery+, compete for the sale of advertising with other television networks, including broadcast, cable, local networks, and other content distribution outlets for their target audiences and the sale of advertising. Our success in selling advertising is a function of the size and demographics of our audiences, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the audience of each network, the perceived quality of the network and of the particular content, the brand appeal of the network and ratings as determined by third-party research companies, prices charged for advertising and overall advertiser demand in the marketplace.

Our networks and streaming services also compete for their target audiences with all forms of content and other media provided to viewers, including broadcast, cable and local networks, streaming services, pay-per-view and video-on-demand (“VOD”) services, online activities and other forms of news, information and media entertainment.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

We are one of the world’s leading creators, owners and distributors of intellectual property. Our intellectual property assets include copyrights in films, television programs, software, comic books and mobile apps; trademarks in names, logos and characters; patents or patent applications for inventions related to products and services; websites; and licenses of intellectual property rights of various kinds from third parties. We have made and will continue to make investments in developing technology platforms to support our digital products and streaming services, including Max, HBO Max, and discovery+, and consider these platforms to be intellectual property assets as well.

We are a global media and entertainment company and the protection of our content and brands is of primary importance. To protect our intellectual property assets, we rely upon a combination of copyright, trademark, patent, unfair competition, and internet/domain name statutes and laws, and contract provisions. However, there can be no assurance of the degree to which these measures will be successful. Moreover, effective intellectual property protection may be either unavailable or limited in certain foreign territories, and new legislative or regulatory initiatives could impact our operations.

We seek to limit unauthorized use of our intellectual property through a combination of approaches. However, the steps taken to prevent the infringement of our intellectual property by unauthorized third parties may not be effective. Piracy, which encompasses the theft of our signals, and the unauthorized use of our intellectual property in the digital environment, continues to present a threat to revenues from products and services based on our intellectual property. Piracy also includes the unauthorized use of our intellectual property on physical goods. We have a team dedicated to disrupting and curbing piracy and other forms of intellectual property infringement and use external vendors to detect and remove infringements, whether digital in nature or on physical goods. We also engage with intermediaries that facilitate piracy, leverage our membership in a range of industry groups, and initiate enforcement actions, including litigation, to address piracy issues. In general, policing unauthorized use of our products and services and related intellectual property is difficult and costly. Further, new technologies such as generative AI and their impact on our intellectual property rights remain uncertain, and development of the law in this area could impact our ability to protect against infringing uses or result in infringement claims against us.

Third parties may challenge the validity or scope of our intellectual property from time to time, and the success of any such challenges could result in the limitation or loss of intellectual property rights. Irrespective of their validity, such claims may also result in substantial costs and diversion of resources which could have an adverse effect on our operations.

REGULATORY MATTERS

Our businesses are subject to and affected by regulations of U.S. federal, state and local government authorities, and our international operations are subject to laws and regulations of the countries and international bodies, such as the E.U., in which we operate. Content networks, such as those owned by us, are regulated in certain limited respects by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), including some regulations that only apply to content networks affiliated with a cable television operator. Other FCC regulations, although imposed on cable television operators and direct broadcast satellite (“DBS”) operators and other distributors, affect content networks indirectly. The rules, regulations, policies and procedures affecting our businesses are constantly subject to change. These descriptions are summary in nature and describe only the most significant regulations we face; they do not purport to describe all present and proposed laws and regulations affecting our businesses.

Program Access

The Communications Act (the “Act”) and the FCC’s program access rules prevent a content vendor in which a cable operator has an “attributable” ownership interest from discriminating against unaffiliated multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”), such as cable and DBS operators, in the rates, terms and conditions for the sale or delivery of the vendor’s content networks, on the basis of the non-affiliation. These rules permit the unaffiliated MVPD to initiate a complaint to the FCC against the content vendor and content networks if it believes this rule has been violated.

Program Carriage

The Act and the FCC’s program carriage rules prohibit MVPDs from favoring their affiliated content networks over unaffiliated, similarly situated content networks in the rates, terms and conditions of their carriage agreements in a manner that unreasonably restrains the ability of the unaffiliated content network to compete fairly. These rules permit the unaffiliated content network to initiate a complaint to the FCC against the MVPD if it believes these rules have been violated, but court decisions interpreting the regulations have made it difficult for us to challenge a distributor’s decision to decline to carry one of our content networks or discriminate against one of our content networks.

“Must-Carry”/Retransmission Consent

The Act imposes “must-carry” regulations on cable systems, requiring them to carry the signals of most local broadcast television stations in their market if they elect mandatory carriage. DBS systems are also subject to their own must-carry rules. The FCC’s implementation of “must-carry” obligations requires cable operators and DBS providers to give broadcasters preferential access to channel space and favorable channel positions. This reduces the amount of channel space that is available for carriage of our content networks by cable and DBS operators. The Act also gives certain broadcasters the choice of opting out of must-carry and invoking the right to retransmission consent, which refers to a broadcaster’s right to require MVPDs, such as cable and satellite operators, to obtain the broadcaster’s consent before distributing the broadcaster’s signal to the MVPDs’ subscribers, often at a substantial cost that reduces the content funds available for independent programmers not affiliated with broadcasters, such as us.

Accessibility, Children’s Advertising Restrictions, Emergency Alerts and CALM Act

Certain of our content networks and some of our IP-delivered video content must provide closed-captioning and audio description of some of their programming and comply with other regulations designed to make our content more accessible to persons with disabilities. The U.S. Congress, the FCC, and the U.S. Department of Justice periodically consider proposals to implement additional accessibility requirements, and are considering a number of such proposals now, some of which would increase our obligations substantially. Our television programming intended primarily for children 12 years of age and under must comply with certain limits on the amount and type of permissible advertising, and certain regulations extend to our digital products when they are referenced by web address in our television programming. We may not include actual or simulated emergency alert tones or signals in our content. Commercials embedded in our networks’ television content stream also must adhere to certain standards for ensuring that those commercials are not transmitted at louder volumes than our program material.

Obscenity Restrictions

MVPDs are prohibited from transmitting obscene content, and our distribution agreements generally require us to refrain from including such content on our networks.

Regulation of Digital Products and Services

We operate a variety of free, advertising-based and subscription-based digital products and streaming services providing news, information and entertainment to consumers in the U.S. and international markets via web, mobile and connected TV platforms. In some cases, those products and services are provided directly to consumers, and in other cases, they can be used and/or purchased through a third-party distributor, such as Xfinity or Hulu. Our digital products and services are subject to federal and state regulation in the U.S. relating to the privacy and security of personal information collected from our users, including laws pertaining to the acquisition of personal information from children under 16. Some examples of these laws include the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the federal Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act, the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). Many additional U.S. state and federal regulations impose data security and data breach obligations on the Company. These laws and their public and private enforcement are continually evolving, with several comprehensive U.S. state privacy laws that took effect in 2023, or that will take effect in 2024, and many more introduced and expected to pass in the coming year, and novel litigation theories related to privacy advancing in the courts. Additional federal and state laws and regulations apply or may be adopted with respect to our digital products and services, covering such issues as data privacy and security, child safety, oversight of user-generated content, advertising, competition, pricing, content, copyrights and trademarks, access by persons with disabilities, distribution, taxation and characteristics and quality of products and services. The scope of regulation may differ depending on how these products and services are used and/or purchased. In addition, the FCC from time to time considers whether some or all digital services should be considered MVPDs and regulated as such.

Intellectual Property Laws and Regulations

Our intellectual property assets are discussed under “Business – Intellectual Property” above. Our content, whether distributed over broadcast, cable, DBS, wireless, or internet-based services, or through other means, is protected under intellectual property law, including copyright, trademark, patent, unfair competition, and internet/domain name statutes and laws and license agreements. Changes to these laws and regulations could either strengthen or weaken our ability to license and protect our content and combat its theft or misuse.

Foreign Laws and Regulations

The foreign jurisdictions in which our products and services are offered have, in varying degrees, laws and regulations governing our businesses, including relating to the production, monetization and distribution of content. By way of example, our digital offerings available to consumers in international jurisdictions are subject to laws and regulations relating to, without limitation, consumer protection, data privacy and security, advertising, competition, intellectual property, and content limitations.

Similar to the U.S., new laws and regulations in international jurisdictions may be adopted with respect to our intellectual property, products and services. In particular, we face increased efforts in international jurisdictions to regulate streaming services, which may constrain our offerings. Further, international laws and regulations around intellectual property could limit our ability to license and protect our content, as well as impose additional burdens on our business.

HUMAN CAPITAL

As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 35,300 employees, including full-time and part-time employees of our wholly-owned subsidiaries and consolidated ventures, with 53% located in the U.S. and 47% located outside of the U.S.

We are a talent-driven business, aiming to attract, develop, and motivate top talent throughout our company. To support these objectives, our human resources programs are designed to provide competitive, locally-relevant benefits, performance-based pay, and nonfinancial support and incentives. We also strive to enhance our culture through efforts aimed at making our workplace diverse, engaging and inclusive, and to develop our talent to prepare them for critical roles and leadership positions for the future. We also provide opportunities for our employees to make an impact in their communities through social good initiatives around the world.

Some examples of our human resources programs and initiatives are described below.

Compensation

Our compensation philosophy is to pay for performance, encourage excellence and reward employees who innovate and deliver high-quality results. Our compensation programs are designed to implement our compensation philosophy by:

  • paying competitively, across salary grades and geographies;

  • applying compensation policies in an internally consistent manner; and

  • incentivizing our employees to deliver on our short- and long-term objectives.

Benefits

We provide an array of benefits and programs that support our employees in their personal and professional lives. Highlights include:

  • local medical, dental, and vision plans in many countries around the world to support our employees with access to health care, supplementing any state-provided health care;

  • on-site wellness centers in our New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chiswick (London) offices, a fully-equipped fitness center in our New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta offices, and access to virtual fitness classes and wellbeing programs;

  • family support programs, including on-site childcare in certain offices, childcare locator services, back-up childcare, maternity/paternity leave, adoption assistance and elder care;

  • tools and resources to support the mental wellbeing of our employees and their families, including mental health counselors in our on-site wellness centers and a confidential, dedicated line for employees to contact and speak with a counselor in the event they need mental health support;

  • products and services to support employees’ financial wellbeing, including life, accident, and disability insurance plans, discount benefits, financial planning tools, a 401(k) savings plan in the U.S. and retirement/pension plans in over 20 countries, with competitive contributions from the Company for employees at all levels;

  • offering an employee stock purchase plan, which allows certain employees globally (where legislation permits) an opportunity to buy WBD common stock at a discounted price through convenient after-tax payroll deductions with no commission charges; and

  • flexible working arrangements around the globe to enable our employees to better balance work and personal commitments.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DE&I”)

Our DE&I objective is to promote diversity, remove barriers, and create space for all to share ideas and be heard. DE&I at WBD is overseen by our Chief Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer. We implement our DE&I initiatives and pipeline programs through our global and regional DE&I team that partners with internal and external stakeholders across our brands, business units and regions. We have established a Business and Creative Council, made up of our most senior leaders, to address and champion DE&I in our corporate and content production businesses. We seek to support our employees through the sponsorship of 16 Business Resource Groups (“BRGs”) globally, comprised of over 40 chapters. BRGs are intended to enable employees with shared pursuits, purpose, identities, and interests to lead, contribute and build community for all.

Learning and Development

Our Global Learning & Development (“L&D”) team provides learning opportunities for employees around the world. The L&D team uses a variety of delivery methods suitable to the content and audience, including live in-person sessions, virtual workshops, webinars, and asynchronous online learning through our global learning management platform. The L&D team also provides tuition reimbursement for eligible courses.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

All of our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, and all amendments to such filings are available free of charge at the investor relations section of our website, ir.wbd.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Our annual report, corporate governance guidelines, code of business ethics, audit committee charter, compensation committee charter, and nominating and corporate governance committee charter are also available on our website. In addition, we will provide a printed copy of any of these documents, free of charge, upon written request to: Investor Relations, Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., 230 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003. Additionally, the SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains quarterly, annual and current reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including the Company.

We also routinely post on our website news releases, announcements and other statements about our business and results of operations, some of which may contain information that may be deemed to be material to investors. Therefore, we encourage investors to monitor our website and review the information we post there. The information contained on our website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is not incorporated by reference herein.

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