Warner Bros. is one of the oldest and most famous film and entertainment-studio names in Hollywood. Originally founded in 1923 by four brothers — Harry Warner, Albert Warner, Sam Warner and Jack Warner — it grew into a major film production and distribution studio.
Today, Warner Bros. does not exist as a standalone privately held entity. Instead, it is part of a larger corporation — Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD), a publicly traded global media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered in New York City.
Warner Bros.’ movie studios, TV divisions, streaming assets (such as HBO Max/HBO), publishing, games, and other entertainment properties now operate under the umbrella of WBD.
Ownership Status of Warner Bros. / Warner Bros. Discovery
Because Warner Bros. is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery, its ownership is determined by who owns WBD. As WBD is publicly traded (NASDAQ ticker: WBD), there is no single “owner.” Instead, ownership is distributed among a mix of institutional investors, mutual funds, ETFs, and individual shareholders.
- Company Name: Warner Bros.
- Status: Subsidiary of publicly traded Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) — not privately owned by any individual.
- Ownership: Distributed among institutional investors (e.g., Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street), mutual funds, ETFs, and individual shareholders.
- Founder: Harry Warner, Albert Warner, Sam Warner, Jack Warner (founded in 1923).
- Recent Development: As of December 2025, WBD agreed to sell Warner Bros.’ studios and streaming business to Netflix (pending closure), which — once completed — will make Netflix the owner of those core Warner Bros. assets.
Major Shareholders (Institutional / Funds)
According to publicly available data:
| Shareholder / Entity | Approximate Ownership / Role |
|---|---|
| Vanguard Group — institutional investor / fund manager | Part of the institutional holdings in WBD. |
| BlackRock — institutional investor / fund manager | Also among top institutional shareholders. |
| State Street Corporation — institutional investor / fund manager | Another major institutional shareholder. |
| Individual investors / retail shareholders / public companies / ETFs | They collectively own a substantial portion of WBD alongside institutional investors. |
Because ownership shares trade on open markets, these percentages shift over time, depending on buying and selling by institutional and retail investors.
Corporate Structure: How Warner Bros. Fits In
- On 8 April 2022, the former entertainment-media unit of telecom giant AT&T — known as WarnerMedia — was merged with another media company, Discovery, Inc., forming Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Under this merged corporate entity, Warner Bros. continues its legacy as a major film and TV studio, now organized under WBD’s “Streaming & Studios” division.
- In December 2024, WBD announced a new corporate structure to organize its operations into two divisions: Global Linear Networks (TV networks, cable channels, etc.) and Streaming & Studios (film studios, HBO/HBO Max, games, etc.).
Thus, Warner Bros. today is not “owned” by a founder or a private individual — it belongs to a large publicly traded conglomerate, whose ownership is broadly distributed among many shareholders.
Recent Developments & What It Means for Ownership
- As of late 2025, there has been a major update: Netflix, Inc. has agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studios and streaming business, including Warner Bros., HBO/HBO Max, and related assets — in a deal valued at roughly US $82.7 billion in enterprise value.
- Subject to regulatory approval and the completion of separation of WBD’s cable-networks arm (to be spun off as a separate business by mid-2026), Netflix would own all the film- and streaming-related assets of Warner Bros. — effectively making Netflix the new owner of Warner Bros.’ core studio and streaming operations.
- Meanwhile, the remaining parts of WBD — primarily the TV networks, cable channels and similar assets — would become a separate entity (or entities), not part of Netflix’s acquisition.
In short: while Warner Bros. has for decades been part of a public company (WBD), as of December 2025, a major corporate transaction is underway that will transfer the studio and streaming side of Warner Bros. into Netflix — reshaping ownership substantially.
FAQs
1. Who is the current owner of Warner Bros.?
Warner Bros. is currently part of Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company. That means there is no single owner; ownership is distributed among institutional investors, mutual funds, and individual shareholders.
2. Is Warner Bros. privately owned or public?
Warner Bros. itself is not independently public or private — it is a subsidiary of the publicly traded company Warner Bros. Discovery.
3. Who founded Warner Bros.?
Warner Bros. was founded in 1923 by four brothers: Harry Warner, Albert Warner, Sam Warner, and Jack Warner.
4. Has the ownership of Warner Bros. changed recently?
Yes — quite significantly. In 2022, the former WarnerMedia was merged with Discovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery. And as of December 2025, Warner Bros.’ studio and streaming assets are being acquired by Netflix under a major deal.
5. Who will own Warner Bros. after the acquisition completes?
If the acquisition completes (expected after WBD spins off its cable-network business by mid-2026), Netflix will own Warner Bros.’ film studios, streaming services, and related entertainment assets.