Discovery Global, WBD’s Planned Network Spinoff Entity Already In Talks To Sell Its 20% Stake In Studio Sibling

Gunnar Wiedenfels, CFO of Warner Bros. Discovery and designated CEO of the company’s planned network spinoff entity, says buyers are already interested in its 20% stake in its soon-to-be sibling.

The company has held talks about selling part or all of its position in the parent of Warner Bros., HBO and streaming service HBO Max, the exec confirmed Tuesday at a conference hosted by BofA Securities.

Jessica Reif Ehrlich, the veteran BofA media analyst who moderated the session, asked Wiedenfels if the company could pursue a sale of the stake prior to the expected close of the spinoff transaction in mid-2026.

“We could,” he replied. “But it’s a trade-off because we want to get full value for it. It’s a huge building block in this whole transaction, to get an equity injection at the right valuation” in order to reduce debt coming out of the split. Debt resulting from the $43 billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery has been a drag on the company’s stock price since that combination took effect in April 2022.

Achieving optimal value from a buyer is “definitely going to be a priority,” Wiedenfels added, noting that the company has a year to execute a sale without taking a tax hit. “We have had some interest and some discussions earlier than that. And technically, we would be able to monetize part of it, all of it, whatever, before we even close the transaction. There’s nothing specific here yet, but definitely something that I’m going to be a lot more focused on over the next few months.”

Current WBD CEO David Zaslav will lead Studios & Streaming as CEO, while Wiedenfels takes the helm of Discovery Global Networks. The WBD spinoff plan was revealed in June, a few months after Comcast’s decision to create Versant, which will become a separate home for NBCUniversal cable networks apart from Bravo in the next few months. Disney and Hearst are also shopping A+E Global Media, parent of A&E, History and Lifetime, in yet another sign of media owners adjusting to dramatic shrinkage of the pay-TV bundle. While linear networks still generate considerable cash flow, they are in secular decline as viewers and advertisers continue to migrate to streaming.

Wiedenfels said the company has been busy preparing for the split and expects to meet its projected timeline. “We’ve chopped a lot of wood but have a lot still on the agenda,” he said. The exec teased planned streaming services tied to Turner Sports and CNN and also talked up Discovery+, which launched in 2020 and will be part of the portfolio of Discovery Global Networks.

Reminder!!! Four-Part Docuseries, Ruby & Jodi: A Cult Of Sin And Influence, Premieres On ID Africa, DStv Channel 171, on Sunday, 7 & 14 September At 21:00 CAT During ID’s Documentary Event

Investigation Discovery Africa will premiere the four-part docuseries RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE, offering unprecedented insight into the motivations and disturbing relationship between former mommy vlogger Ruby Franke and rogue therapist Jodi Hildebrandt. Delving into Hildebrandt and Franke’s relationship from both women’s respective rise to power and extensive influence within the Mormon community to their eventual arrests in 2023, the docuseries charts the magnetic connection between the two and how the melding of Franke’s strict family values with Hildebrandt’s controversial beliefs created a microcosm of control, manipulation, and brutality that led to the devastating emotional and physical abuse of the Franke children. RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE will premiere over two nights on Sunday, 7 September and Sunday, 14 September from 21:00 – 23:00 CAT on ID Africa, DStv channel 171.  

“With RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE, ID continues to do what we do best—go beyond the headlines to expose the deeper truths behind cultural flashpoints,” said Jason Sarlanis, President of Investigation Discovery. “The disturbing alliance between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt has captivated and horrified the public, and this docuseries peels back the layers of that relationship through exclusive interviews with family members, former clients, and experts to explore the broader implications of family vlogging and the devastating impact of family abuse.” 

 

Over the course of four parts, RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE offers extensive insight into Jodi Hildebrandt’s rise to power within the Mormon community through her popular ConneXions program – and how that program led her to Franke and laid the foundation for the twisted bond they shared. Featuring extensive interviews with former clients, the docuseries underscores the extent of Hildebrandt’s cult-like and manipulative tactics that devastated the lives of the individuals who entrusted her with their struggles in hopes of helping themselves and their marriages. Offering additional and exclusive insight from Hildebrandt’s niece, Jessi Hildebrandt, the docuseries underscores Hildebrandt’s manipulative and dangerous tendencies and how, when combined with Franke’s strict family values, they created an environment rife with manipulation, control, and abuse. Combined with extensive archival and police footage, as well as commentary from local journalists who covered the case and influential Mormon and ex-Mormon voices, RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE chronicles Hildebrandt and Franke’s doomed partnership and the dangerous, disturbing results of unchecked influence to reveal the physical and psychological impact of their abusive actions.  

Reminder!!! Top Guns: The Next Generation Premieres On 17 September 2025 On National Geographic

It’s the ultimate test of precision, pressure and perseverance. In National Geographic’s new six-part series TOP GUNS: THE NEXT GENERATION, cameras follow a class of Navy and Marine Corps student pilots as they enter the final and most unforgiving phase of elite strike fighter training. It’s six months of high-stakes aerial training, brutal physical demands, and emotional reckoning, where only the top performers earn the chance to fly the most coveted aircrafts. TOP GUNS: THE NEXT GENERATION will premiere on Wednesdays at 20:30, from 17 September 2025 on National Geographic (DStv 181, StarTimes 220) across Africa.

 

The series goes beyond the cockpit, following ambitious young Navy and Marine students both in the air and off-base, capturing candid moments with family and friends and revealing the personal stakes, sacrifices and motivations that brought them here. Filmed with unprecedented access, it immerses audiences in a world of intense pressure and soaring expectations, where dreams of earning wings of gold collide with the harsh reality of the grueling training. From bombing drills to close-range dogfights and nail-biting carrier approaches, each episode captures the intense demands of a program that challenges their abilities, endurance and resolve at every turn.

 

While the emotional stakes fuel the story, it’s in the skies where the drama hits full throttle. Outfitted with in-cockpit cameras, the series delivers a breathtaking front-row experience to capture moments of precision, panic and hard-fought triumph as they happen. Filmed by some of the creative talent behind the blockbuster film “Top Gun: Maverick,” the aerial sequences are cinematic and pulse-pounding, pushing the limits of what these student aviators—and their aircraft—can do.

 

Episodes include the following:

 

“STRIKE”

One student’s dreams of becoming a fighter pilot are put in jeopardy as the class starts advanced phase training with a set of breathtaking bombing tests. Diving at speeds they’ve never faced before, students struggle with the dynamic moves and start to make high-risk mistakes. Instructors deliver tough assessments in the debriefs to keep the students safe.

 

 “CATCHING THE WIRE”

Landing on an aircraft carrier demands precision flying and is a skill vital for all U.S. Navy fighter pilots. As the students tackle the longest and most technical section of the Advanced Phase, they know it’s a test they must pass to keep their dreams alive. The pressure mounts on some struggling students, and the commanding officer issues a timely warning to one.

 

“ATTACK ATTACK!”

As the students reach the midpoint of their training, they start the iconic dogfighting phase. Against them are seasoned instructors with hundreds of hours of real-world experience. To pass, they must outmaneuver the enemy to take a “kill shot.” One student has the added pressure of flying with his Top Gun-trained commodore, while another struggles to control his aggressive instincts.

 

 “FIGHT’S ON!”

As they enter the second and most challenging phase of dog fighting, everything is on the line for our students. Defensive dogfighting involves dynamic maneuvers to evade battle-hardened instructors. The physical strain proves too much for one student, while another has a crisis of confidence when past failures come back to haunt him.

 

“HEAD-TO-HEAD”

The students face their final test in an iconic head-to-head dogfight against an instructor. To pass, they must bring all the skills they’ve learned during their Advanced Phase training. With graduation just days away, students start to worry about their final grades and whether they will get the posting they—and in many cases, their families—want.

 

“LAST CHANCE”

It’s graduation week. For the remaining students, it means they have one last chance to prove they deserve their prestigious fighter pilot wings. Standing in their way is a tense head-to-head dogfight against an instructor. Past failures come back to haunt one student, and another’s whole fighter pilot future comes down to a single flight with their commanding officer.

 

TOP GUNS: THE NEXT GENERATION is produced by Rex, a Zinc Media Group Label, for National Geographic. For Rex, the executive producer is Tanya Shaw, the series director is Lana Salah, and the showrunners are Karen Edwards and Chris Parkin. For National Geographic, the executive producer is Simon Raikes, Bengt Anderson is senior vice president of Unscripted Content, and Tom McDonald is the executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content.

BBC Studios Brings Bluey To Africa In Four Different Languages

BBC Studios announced at FAME week Africa that Bluey, the beloved Emmy® and BAFTA Award-winning animated series, has been dubbed in four widely spoken African languages: Zulu, Afrikaans, Swahili, and Nigerian Pidgin. This expansion marks a significant step in making quality children’s programming reflect African voices.

Award-winning TV Presenter and Podcaster, Nonkanyiso Conco, will voice Mum (Chilli), in the Zulu dubbed episodes while Nigerian presenter and actress, Omotunde Adebowale David will voice the character in Nigerian Pidgin bringing heartwarming tales of Bluey and her family in their native languages.

“Voicing Chilli has been a deeply personal and joyful experience,” said Nonkanyiso Conco, the Zulu voice of Chilli. “Bluey’s stories are universal but hearing them in our own languages makes them feel even more special. It’s a gift to our children.”

Omotunde Adebowale David said “Voicing Chilli has been a whirlwind of emotions, from feeling humbled to excited. This marks my very first voice acting project.”

Produced by Ludo Studio and created by Joe Brumm, the series follows Bluey, a loveable, inexhaustible, Blue Heeler dog, who lives with her Mum, Dad and her little sister, Bingo. Bluey uses her limitless energy to play games that unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her family and the whole neighbourhood into her world of fun. The award-winning series is available in over 140 countries around the world.

Barbara Jerzyk Alvarez, Head of CEEMA Content Sales at BBC Studios, says “Bluey has always celebrated the magic of everyday family life and now, more children can experience that magic in the language they speak at home. By localising Bluey in four African languages, the show continues to foster connection, imagination, and emotional learning for even more young audiences across Africa”

Bluey Season 3 is currently available on Disney+ and airing on CBeebies (DStv channel 306). 

September 2025 On ESPN Across Africa | Return Of The NFL + Fixtures | MLB World Finals | AFL Finals | More

RETURN OF THE NFL

The National Football League is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference.

Key fixtures to look out for:

Eagles vs Cowboys - 5 Sept

Chiefs vs Eagles - 14 Sept

NY Giants vs Chiefs - 22 Sept

Raiders vs Bears - 28 Sept

MLB WORLD FINALS

The 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is in full swing with all 30 teams scheduled to play 162 games across a season that culminates in the World Series in September. ESPN airs live MLB games throughout the week and over weekends. 

The MLB Playoffs will start the end of September, running through the end of October.

FOOTBALL CONTINUES

The Saudi Pro League, EFL, Turkish Super Lig, NWSL, Eredevisie, DKF Pokal, Scottish Premiership and return to ESPN. All the above leagues are in action in the month of September.

AFL

The Australian Football League is the pre-eminent professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition from the Victorian Football Association, with its inaugural season in 1897. 

The AFL final is taking place on Saturday 27 September and will air on ESPN Africa.

NRL

The National Rugby League is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and New Zealand. The NRL continues in September.

The Premiership Grand Final will take place on 5 October 2025.