Antony Root Retiring from Warner Bros. Discovery

Antony Root, who has led original programming and production for HBO Europe and HBO Max EMEA, is planning to retire from Warner Bros. Discovery at the end of March.

Root currently serves as executive VP of original programming and production at HBO Max Europe, Middle East and Africa. During his 11-year tenure, Root has commissioned and overseen more than 1,000 episodes of original premium programming across scripted, documentaries and unscripted.

Root said: “Leading a European production group within the HBO family has been an honor and privilege, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity. When I joined in 2011, we were producing in only four countries in Central Eastern Europe, and the focus was on single documentaries and local adaptations of international scripted formats. Within a few years, we were developing and producing our own locally created series and expanding our original production footprint to the Nordics, Spain and more recently, France. Now, with the new, combined service set to launch, it’s time for me to bring my executive career to a close and pass the baton onto others.”

Root added: “I have been extremely fortunate to enjoy a long executive career in our industry, but I am now eager to move on to the next phase of my life. I plan to pursue a range of different interests, some educational, some professional and some personal. I’d like to thank Priya and all the senior managers I have worked with, including Linda Jensen and Herve Payan from my time at HBO Europe, for their unwavering support as we built one of the top commissioning and original production groups in Europe. I must also thank the amazingly talented group of individuals in twelve territories who have travelled with me on this amazing journey. Their creativity and commitment have been inspiring and their work exceptional. I wish each and every one of them huge success for the future. I will miss them all.”