Jay Levine Promoted to Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Digital Networks Group
(March 15, 2017 – Burbank, CA) – Jay Levine has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Digital Networks Group, it was announced today by Craig Hunegs, President, Business and Strategy, Warner Bros. Television Group and President, Warner Bros. Digital Networks Group, to whom Levine will continue to report.
As Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Digital Networks Group, Levine will work closely with Hunegs to guide the division’s development and build-out of OTT services, the growth of its digital native content footprint and the further development of Warner Bros.’ direct-to-consumer capabilities. Levine will be responsible for overseeing the group’s day-to-day operations, including ad sales, distribution, finance, business development and planning.
“Jay has been instrumental in helping us define the company’s digital strategy and build the Warner Bros. Digital Networks Group,” said Hunegs. “I have worked closely with him in our TV Group and I am pleased he is now taking on a key leadership role in this fast-growing, impactful, direct-to-consumer hub at Warner Bros.”
Founded in June 2016, Warner Bros. Digital Networks Group is aggressively creating and building OTT services, producing digital native content, growing Warner Bros.’ direct-to-consumer capabilities and building a digital-first team at the Studio. As part of Time Warner's overall growth in direct-to-consumer offerings, WBDNG works closely with sister divisions Turner and HBO. WBDNG's portfolio includes Boomerang (a partnership with Turner), DramaFever, Machinima, Warner Archive, Stage 13, Uninterrupted (a partnership with LeBron James and Maverick Carter), Ellen Digital Ventures (a partnership with Ellen DeGeneres) and a number of other services to be announced in the coming months.
Levine most recently served as Senior Vice President, Business & Strategic Planning, Warner Bros. Television Group, a post to which he was promoted in 2012. He was integral in the expansion of The CW through digital partnerships with Netflix and Hulu, the development of new linear and on-demand distribution windows for WBTVG series, the acquisition and growth of Alloy Entertainment across books, TV and film and the build-out of Blue Ribbon Content, WBTVG’s short-form programming production unit, as well as the creation of new strategic partnerships which helped lead to the formation of WBDNG. Before that, he was Vice President, Business Planning, the role in which he joined the company in 2009.
Prior to joining WBTVG, Levine worked at The Walt Disney Company as an Associate in its Corporate Strategy and Business Development Group. Prior to that, he was Senior Manager, Finance & Business Development for ESPN.com. Levine began his career at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. in New York as a Financial Analyst in its Media & Entertainment Group of the Investment Banking Division. Levine earned both his Bachelor of Science in Economics and a MBA in Accounting and Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.