Warner Bros. Television Studios Close To Striking Animation Deal With Amazon For DC-Branded Content

Warner Bros. Television Studios is in the process of closing a major animation deal with Amazon for DC-branded content, according to Channing Dungey .

Dungey teased the news at Content London, stating that the studio is "exploring animated IP on different platforms," including WBD-owned HBO Max.

"With animation we used to be about staying in-house but now we are doing it on different platforms," she added. "HBO Max is the first stop but we are in the process of closing a big deal with Amazon featuring DC branded content in animation."

Dungey didn't elaborate further on the deal as she talked through a role she has now been doing for two years.

She echoed the view of Showtime President Entertainment Jana Winograde yesterday by stating that shows will be made for less money in the coming years due to the global cost-of-living crisis.

"There was a feeling for a while that if you're not spending $10M an hour then you're not doing your job," she added. "But it doesn't take that to make a great show and doing things differently in the pandemic underscored that."

She flagged the likes of ABC's Abbott Elementary, a strong performer for the network that accrued multiple Emmy nominations.

People are "taking a look at the costs of production more," she added, having spent a period of time being "stuck in a spending bubble" that ended with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yesterday, Winograde told Content London "belt tightening" is to come in global production, hinting that the Paramount-owned outfit will spend less on mid level shows.

On the potential for an upcoming writers' strike, Dungey said she would "love to avoid" a strike but "there are some issues that need to be resolved and we have to be prepared for the worst."