WarnerMedia’s New CEO Says HBO Max Has One Clear Edge Over Netflix
He’s looking to thwart rivals with quality, but the streaming service doesn’t yet have a breakout hit.
Jason Kilar
Source: HBOHollywood wasn’t ready for the internet when Jason Kilar came to town in 2007. Kilar, a Pittsburgh native, had taken a job as the founding chief executive officer of Hulu, a new streaming service that sought to capitalize on the growing number of people watching video online.
Hulu debuted the same year as Netflix Inc.’s streaming service. But while Netflix was co-founded by Reed Hastings, who studied computer science, Hulu had been devised by Fox and NBC, entertainment companies that made most of their money in television. Media giants had enjoyed years of stability underpinned by cable TV, as every year brought new channels and higher profits. Kilar, who worked at Amazon.com Inc. before joining Hulu, couldn’t rock the boat too much.