Warner Bros. Discovery Creates Global Experiences Division

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has put in place a new global structure for its studio tours, retail destinations, touring exhibitions and all location-based experiences, bringing together the existing licensed entertainment and owned-and-operated teams into a single worldwide division.

Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences will be strategically expanding the company’s fan-facing experiences and pursuing new businesses that capitalize on the company’s IP like those with Universal Destinations & Experiences and Miral and its operated businesses, including Warner Bros. Studio Tours in London, Hollywood, and Tokyo.

WBD Global Experiences combines the company’s existing Global Themed Entertainment licensing group and the Studio Tours & Retail owned-and-operated division into a new unified division.

Simon Robinson, COO of WBD Studios, will add leadership of WBD Global Experiences to his responsibilities. He will report to Bruce Campbell, chief revenue and strategy officer, for Experiences and will continue reporting to WBD’s CFO, Gunnar Wiendenfels, for his studio and content operations and financial roles.

Robinson has appointed two veteran leaders to his new Experiences organization who will report to him: Peter van Roden, executive VP of global themed entertainment, will continue in his role leading the licensed location-based entertainment and theme parks businesses as well as the division’s global business development. Sarah Roots, executive VP of worldwide studio tours and retail, will continue in her role leading WBD’s owned-and-operated experiences.

“WBD has an incredible mix of location-based experiences for fans around the world, from theme parks and tours to exhibits, retail and more,” said Campbell. “Bringing these two teams together under one roof gives us an opportunity to leverage and coordinate the talent and resources across all of our experiential businesses to better delight our consumers through offering even more truly authentic and engaging in-person experiences and events in every market.”

Robinson said, “Peter and Sarah are experts in curating and executing global location-based experiences at the very highest caliber. Our teams have an obsession for detail that we bring to each project, and together, we will be able to bring partners—and fans—even more of what they’ve come to expect from a Warner Bros. experience.”