HBO Executive Sutton Is Leaving as Part of Shake-Up
HBO Executive Sutton Is Leaving as Part of Shake-Up
(Bloomberg) -- HBO is losing another top executive, part of a shake-up under new owner AT&T Inc.
Simon Sutton, president and chief revenue officer for the cable network, is stepping down, according to a person familiar with the matter. The executive is leaving within the month, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the change isn’t public yet.
The move follows the announcement this month that Bernadette Aulestia will be leaving as HBO’s president of global distribution. HBO Chief Executive Officer Richard Plepler also resigned as part of a broader corporate reshuffling that’s intended to cut costs, reduce staff and streamline operations.
AT&T acquired HBO as part of its $85 billion takeover last year of Time Warner, now called WarnerMedia. Robert Greenblatt, the former chairman of NBC Entertainment, is running WarnerMedia’s entertainment and direct-to-consumer business. That puts him in charge of HBO and cable networks TNT, TBS and TruTV, leaving those businesses with less autonomy.
Plepler’s departure has stoked concerns that AT&T will change the corporate culture at HBO, which built a reputation for quality over two decades. Greenblatt insists that he plans to carry on the tradition of Plepler and his predecessors.
Sutton’s responsibilities included overseeing technology, broadcast operations, information-technology research, and distribution deals with TV providers.
To contact the reporter on this story: Gerry Smith in New York at gsmith233@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Rob Golum
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