Warner Bros. Discovery has named Ryan Gould and Robert “Bobby” Voltaggio Presidents of U.S. Advertising Sales.
They will jointly oversee sales efforts for networks and streaming, including sports, news, client partnerships, digital sales, research, marketing and brand solutions, commercial operations, and strategy.
WBD, which will be back in its customary upfront slot in mid-May (the 14th, to be exact) at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, has been without a sales leader since the exit of Jon Steinlauf was announced last October. Steinlauf, who led sales at Scripps Networks Interactive and Discovery prior to taking the top sales role when WBD was formed in 2022, has remained at the company during the search process.
Gould and Voltaggio will be based at WBD’s ad sales headquarters at Hudson Yards in New York, and will lead the unit’s nationwide team, including offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, and Knoxville, TN.
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The top job comes with no small amount of pressure. With its stock down more than 50% since the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, the company has been under growing Wall Street scrutiny, especially given its exposure to linear TV, which is in secular decline.
Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer Bruce Campbell sought to banish the notion that the search for Steinlauf’s domestic successor had been a complicated one due to the inherent difficulty of the role. “We had a very strong pool of external applicants for this role,” he said in the official announcement, “but given the rapidly evolving advertising market, we also recognized the need to fundamentally change how we service our clients and agency partners. Ryan and Bobby have been instrumental leaders in driving our business since the merger, and are innovative, decisive, and team-oriented in all that they do. They will take our existing, strong foundation and reshape our overall sales strategy. These changes will be transformative to our business.”
Gould will oversee “go to market” sales, while Voltaggio leads platform monetization. Both will report to Campbell. The company emphasized that Campbell will continue to be involved in the ad sales unit and “hold key relationships with the company’s strategic partners and clients.”
Gould’s history at WBD dates to 2012, which was when Turner Broadcasting purchased digital sports operation Bleacher Report, where he was director of sales. He held leadership posts at Turner and WarnerMedia and was named Head of Streaming, Digital, and Advanced Advertising Sales and Client Partnerships at WBD in 2023.
Voltaggio came up through Discovery, where he came aboard in 2005 in an ad sales pricing and planning role. He was promoted to Head of Revenue and Operations in 2019 and held that position until Tuesday’s promotion.
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