Warner Bros Discovery nabs Binge director to head up Max Australia content
Warner Bros Discovery has appointed a content lead ahead of its Max streaming service launch later this month.
John Beohm takes on the role of senior director, content planning and scheduling, effective immediately.
He joins from Binge, where he has spent the last four years as director of content. He has also held various content roles at SBS, Stan, and BBC Worldwide.
Boehm will report to Magdalene Ew, head of content, streaming, at WBD APAC. He will oversee Max’s content in Australia, including programming from HBO, Warner Bros, Harry Potter, Discovery, the DC Universe, Animal Planet.
WBD’s Max is launching in Australia on March 31, which means the end of premium HBO content on Binge. Max will launch with premium, standard, and ad-supported tiers, with pricing yet to be confirmed.
Max’s entry into the Australian market has been expected for years – Foxtel Group’s CEO Patrick Delany flagged the possibility as early as October 2022 – and is likely to shake up the already competitive streaming market in Australia.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time to be joining WBD,” Boehm said of his appointment.
“The WBD library and upcoming slate is world class, and I can’t wait for Australian audiences to get their hands on the full Max experience.”
Ew described him as an “exceptional talent”, and said: “His experience across many of the market’s most loved and recognisable platforms, including across a broad range of content pillars, gives him a deep understanding of local audiences.”
Ahead of the launch, WBD has also appointed its creative and media agency partners in Special Australia and EssenceMediacom.
Special will be working across brand strategy, advertising, earned media, and content, while EssenceMediacom will be responsible for leading all aspects of media, including media strategy, planning, implementation and measurement. They will also support WBD’s in-house team across biddable channels.
Sasha Mackie, senior director of marketing, said from day one, Special “nailed it with a pitch concept that’s punchy, innovative and unapologetically Max”. She also said the connection, chemistry, and culture fit with EssenceMediacom was “evident from the outset”.
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