Larcher to head HBO Max international roll out
July 8, 2020
Johannes Larcher is the new Head of HBO Max International, joining in August. He will lead the international rollout and management of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer product HBO Max, which launched in the US on May 27th.
Reporting to Gerhard Zeiler, Chief Revenue Officer, WarnerMedia & President, WarnerMedia International Networks, his first focus will be the launch in Latin America, which is expected in 2021.
Larcher will work closely with Whit Richardson, President, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, Latin America and Priya Dogra, President, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, EMEA & APAC.
Zeiler commented: “I got to know Johannes as a passionate entrepreneur. His leadership skills, together with his strong direct-to-consumer and digital experience, international business foundations and tech expertise give him the perfect background to drive the growth of HBO Max beyond the United States.”
Larcher added: “Living at the crossroads of digital technology and content, I’m thrilled to help create unforgettable entertainment experiences for consumers in international markets and make HBO Max an indispensable streaming service around the world.”
Larcher is currently Managing Director, Digital at MBC Group, the Middle East’s leading media company based in Dubai; where he successfully transformed the group’s flagship digital product, Shahid VIP, into the world’s largest Arabic language video streaming service with over 1.4 million subscribers. From 2016 to 2018, he was Co-Founder and CEO of SubVRsive in Austin, Texas, a WPP funded, Emmy-nominated Virtual and Augmented Reality studio. From 2009 – 2013, he was at Hulu as Senior Vice President, International, where he led the launch and initial growth phase of Hulu Japan.
The service is unlikely to roll out in the UK any time soon due an existing content deal between HBO and Sky which is currently in place until 2024.