Larcher named head of HBO Max Int’l

WarnerMedia has hired MBC executive and Hulu alum Johannes Larcher to lead the global roll-out of its HBO Max streaming service.

Johannes Larcher

Larcher will join the company in August as head of HBO Max International. He will report to Gerhard Zeiler, chief revenue officer for WarnerMedia and president of WarnerMedia International Networks.

He will be responsible for the international roll-out and management of HBO Max, which launched in the US in May. His first focus will be the service’s launch in Latin America, which is expected in 2021.

Larcher will work closely on the Lat Am launch with Whit Richardson, who was today promoted from president of Turner Latin America to president of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, Latin America.

He will also work with Priya Dogra, who was appointed president of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks EMEA and APAC on Monday.

Larcher is currently MD of digital at MBC Group in the Middle East, where he has led the growth of the group’s Shahid VIP streaming service.

Prior to that, he was CEO of SubVRsive in Texas, a virtual and augmented reality studio that he co-founded.

From 2009 to 2013, Larcher was senior VP of international at US streaming service Hulu, where he led the launch and initial growth phase of Hulu Japan.

Zeiler said: “I got to know Johannes as a passionate entrepreneur. His leadership skills, together with his strong direct-to-consumer and digital experience, international business foundations and tech expertise, give him the perfect background to drive the growth of HBO Max beyond the US.”

Larcher added: “Living at the crossroads of digital technology and content, I’m thrilled to help create unforgettable entertainment experiences for consumers in international markets and make HBO Max an indispensable streaming service around the world.”