AT&T tapped former Hulu chief Jason Kilar (pictured) to lead its WarnerMedia unit starting 1 May, appointing him to take over the role from John Stankey as the company prepares to launch a key video streaming product.

The move comes seven months after Stankey was appointed to a newly created role of president and COO of AT&T alongside his WarnerMedia duties.

Kilar served as CEO of Hulu from its founding in 2007 until 2013, when he moved on to co-found and lead video streaming service Vessel. He also brings experience gained in several leadership positions at Amazon, including SVP of worldwide application software.

In a statement, Stankey said Kilar’s appointment ahead of the planned launch of a new HBO Max streaming service in May “gives us the right management team to strategically position our leading portfolio of brands, world-class talent and rich library of intellectual property for future growth.”

Strategy
CFO John Stephens, at an investor conference in March, tipped HBO Max to be a “big positive for our wireless business,” allowing the operator to bundle popular content as an incentive for users to upgrade to its highest-priced unlimited tariff.

“They may not pay for a separate line item for that HBO Max, but their total monthly bill may be $15 to $20 higher than the base unlimited package…that ability to generate that additional revenue is significant”.