Discovery/WarnerMedia Deal Will “Freeze” the Field, GroupM’s Wieser

The news of news of the Discovery-WarnerMedia deal will likely slow down momentum around entrance of the ad-supported impact of HBO Max, offering an opening for expansion for the streaming offerings from NBCU/Comcast and ViacomCBS, suggests Brian Wieser, Global President of Business Intelligence at GroupM, in this interview with Beet.TV There are many other implications of the mega deal which could actually slow the adoption of ad-supported streaming, leading to more growth for the subscription services, he adds.

The Global Picture The global move to streaming, away from original TV, is becoming a challenge to marketers who had relied on TV for its reach for decades.

It is forcing some marketers to evaluate investment allocations, Wieser says in the interview and writes about it in the newly released quarterly report on media trends.

Also in the report, he writes about the business imperative of "responsible media" and the importance for brands to be clear about their values.

Doing good is good for business, Wieser notes in the report.