Juliet Peterson, Warner Bros. Discovery VP Head of Networks, ANZ, on what it takes to succeed in today’s media landscape and what the future looks like.
Juliet, what have the last couple of months been like, taking the reins at Warner Bros. Discovery – what are your highlights so far?
It’s a huge honour to take on the role of VP Head of Networks ANZ at WBD. I’ve spent a lot of my working life at Three, including in my early career, and this company has helped shape me. It’s a privilege to now be in the position to help shape the company in turn.
It’s obviously been a difficult few months, saying goodbye to so many incredible colleagues and with the closure of Newshub, but there has also been no shortage of highlights. Launching ThreeNews with Stuff and announcing our America’s Cup partnership have been really exciting, as has premiering outstanding local content like Madam. However, my biggest highlight has been seeing how well our team has come together in these challenging months. Not only are they some of the most talented people in the industry, but they look out for each other and are working hard to execute our vision for the future of our company.
What do you believe are the keystones for success in the 2024 media landscape?
In many ways, the fundamentals haven’t changed: content and engagement are still key, as is meeting audiences where they are. Warner Bros. Discovery is total video in New Zealand: broadcast free-to-air (FTA), Pay TV, AVOD, live streaming, FAST… we are going where the audiences are going, and are the only local player operating in all these spaces.
Across FTA, Pay and AVOD we reach 2.7 million New Zealanders each month, and our combined weekly reach across these platforms has declined by less than 1% in the past two years. Yes, broadcast television is declining, but it still draws in huge numbers: meanwhile, ThreeNow is the fastest growing BVOD platform in the country. By continuing to deliver to large-scale audiences on broadcast, while investing in our digital proposition, for us the keystone for success is having great content available across all our platforms.

What does the future of media look like, as advertisers continue to place more weight on small screens and short-form content (ie TikTok and mobile phones)?
The way content is consumed and shared is undoubtedly changing, but that doesn’t mean one medium, device, platform or content type is going to cannibalise all others. There is space for everything, and for marketers, each platform has its uses. The instant purchase function surrounding short-form content on handheld devices is obviously really interesting, while studies repeatedly show cinema advertising and 15 and 30-second TV spots remain king for brand building. The active viewing time and corresponding memory recollection that comes with advertising in longer form content, often on larger screens, means these media remain crucial for that top-of-funnel brand awareness.

You talk about Warner Bros. Discovery as being gutsy – and that being at the heart of your content proposition. What does that mean to you and what does that look like for your company?
For me, being gutsy means being prepared to take chances and not being afraid to do things differently. Our industry is changing quickly, both in terms of how content is consumed and how advertising around it is purchased. Staying still is simply not an option.
Our ThreeNews partnership with Stuff is a fantastic example of doing something that’s never been done before, with a great outcome. We are in a unique position of being able to harness Three’s 35 years of experience in creating 6pm news, while being able to approach the whole concept with fresh eyes through Stuff. As our industry continues to evolve, it’s these kinds of partnerships we’re really interested in exploring further, so we can continue to create content New Zealanders love in a way that is financially sustainable.
We announced in February we wouldn’t be fully funding local content any more, but we still have more than 50 local programmes in production or development. As well as receiving support from funding bodies such as NZ on Air and Te Māngai Pāho, we have partnerships with businesses through shows like On the Ladder with Kiwibank. We’re also increasingly working with international platforms to collaborate on funding content.
By doing things a little differently, we continue to have a really strong slate of informative, entertaining and relevant local content.

In a media landscape that’s constantly changing and evolving, how does Warner Bros. Discovery challenge itself to innovate and seize new opportunities?
At WBD in New Zealand, we like to think of ourselves as “global locals”. We are a local business, with local leaders, local content, supporting local advertisers. However, we are also part of one of the biggest media empires on the planet, and that gives us the ability to tap into knowledge and expertise from around the world. It’s in this position of being global locals that we find space to innovate and seize new opportunities, by applying what we learn from colleagues around the world to this market, and being able to share our knowledge and experience with them.
This was first published in the 2024 September-October NZ Marketing Magazine issue. Subscribe here.