AT&T spins off media via $43-bn Discovery deal

Unwinds $108.7-bn Time Warner buy

AT&T Inc, the owner of HBO and Warner Bros studios, and cable and streaming network Discovery Inc., the owner of lifestyle TV networks such as HGTV and TLC, will combine their media assets, the U.S. telecom giant said on Monday. The proposed deal would put together one of Hollywood’s most powerful studios, home to the Harry Potter and Batman franchises, with Discovery’s stable of unscripted home, cooking and nature and science shows. The deal also marks the unwinding of AT&T’s $108.7 billion acquisition of U.S. media conglomerate Time Warner in 2018, and underscores its recognition that TV viewership has moved to streaming, where scale is required to take on the likes of Netflix Inc and Walt Disney.