Ex-Warner Bros TV distribution head Schlesinger joins Kartoon Studios board

Jeffrey Schlesinger, the former president of Warner Bros Worldwide Television Distribution, has joined the board of directors at US-based children’s entertainment company Kartoon Studios.

Jeffrey Schlesinger

With Schlesinger’s board appointment, Kartoon Studios said it plans to double down on several of its key strategic goals, including growing revenue, positioning itself as a “leading consolidator of high-value children’s entertainment IP” and striking new platform partnerships across linear, streaming and FAST.

During his time at Warner Bros Worldwide TV Distribution, Schlesinger was responsible for a global sales organisation spanning some 220 countries, overseeing sales on titles such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Two & a Half Men, The West Wing and Game of Thrones.

Within that, he managed an animation catalogue spanning more than 10,000 episodes, including titles from Warner Bros, Hanna-Barbera and MGM Animation, as well as the monetisation and roll-out of Warner Bros films across linear and non-linear outlets, including franchises like Batman, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

After he left the company in 2021 after 37 years, in the wake of the global pandemic and a huge corporate restructure, Schlesinger launched a strategic advisory company called Former Bros Media and later joined the board of Singapore-headquartered online rights marketplace Vuulr.

“Jeff Schlesinger is one of the most impactful executives in modern media history, and we’re honoured to welcome him to the Kartoon Studios board, where I know his impact will be significant and immediate,” said Kartoon Studios chairman and CEO Andy Heyward.

“His insights will be instrumental as we seek to expand our global footprint, grow recurring revenue, and unlock significant shareholder value.”

Schlesinger added: “With a strong foundation of owned content, strategic partnerships and scalable distribution platforms, the company is well-positioned to capture significant market share and deliver outsized growth.”