EXCLUSIVE: Jeffrey Schlesinger, the former President of Warner Bros Worldwide Television Distribution, has joined the board of Kartoon Studios.
For many years, Schlesinger was Warner Bros’ top international TV seller, overseeing distribution of shows such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Game of Thrones, before exiting in 2021 and going on to set up his own consultancy, the cheekily named Former Bros. Media.
“Jeff Schlesinger is one of the most impactful executives in modern media history, and we’re honored to welcome him to the Kartoon Studios board, where I know his impact will be significant and immediate.” said Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Kartoon Studios. “Jeff is like a five-sport varsity player, who is adept in distribution, finance, technology, content creation, and regulatory matters.
“With experience scaling a major global distribution business, expertise in global IP monetization, and a proven track record in building high-margin revenue streams from premium content, we believe that Jeff is uniquely qualified to help accelerate Kartoon Studios’ growth strategy. His insights will be instrumental as we seek to expand our global footprint, grow recurring revenue, and unlock significant shareholder value.”
Kartoon Studios has also been attempting to build franchises based on A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, the Stan Lee Universe, Rainbow Rangers and in-house brand Bitcoin Brigade, while working across consumer products, global licensing, FAST/AVOD platforms and streaming.
The company said Schlesinger’s deep industry relationships would allow it to “secure high-value platform partnerships across linear, streaming, and FAST markets worldwide,” while also using his syndication, licensing and international co-production strategies to build revenue growth.
Besides overseeing major TV brands such as Two and a Half Men, he led on the international expansion of Warner Bros. Animation’s library of more than 10,000 episodes from brands such as Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, Merrie Melodies, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones and Justice League. He also oversaw the TV distribution of the Batman, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings franchises.
As for Kartoon, the news comes after the L.A.-based kids business installed Todd Steinman to take on a global role that put him in charge of Kartoon Channel Worldwide, as we reported first in May. He was promoted from a U.S. facing role following the exit of Paul Robinson, news we also broke.
“Kartoon Studios has assembled one of the most dynamic current portfolios of kids and family IP in the industry, and I’m excited to help guide its next phase of global expansion,” said Schlesinger. “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.”
We’ve previously reported that Schlesinger has board experience at the likes of Vuulr, which he joined in 2022 after making an equity investment.