Former Hulu exec Johannes Larcher, who most recently worked for Dubai-based MBC Group, has been appointed head of WarnerMedia’s HBO Max International.
Larcher, who is a dual U.S.-Austrian national, will join the company in August and report to Gerhard Zeiler, chief revenue officer for WarnerMedia, and president of WarnerMedia International Networks.
Larcher worked at Hulu from 2009 to 2013 and served as senior VP for international. He was responsible for all of Hulu’s activities outside the U.S. Notably, he launched and ran Hulu’s successful unit in Japan.
More recently, in January 2019, Larcher became head of digital operations at Dubai-based MBC Group, the leading Middle Eastern free-to-air satellite network, where he oversaw the launch of its Shahid VIP streaming service, which in a few months skyrocketed from 100,000 subscriptions to more than one million. His departure from MBC is somewhat abrupt.
Larcher will now be responsible for the international rollout and management of HBO Max, which launched in the U.S. on May 27. His first focus will be the launch in Latin America, which is expected in 2021, WarnerMedia said in a statement.
Larcher will work closely with Whit Richardson, president of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks for Latin America, and Priya Dogra, newly appointed president of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks for EMEA and APAC.
In the statement, Zeiler commented: “I got to know Johannes as a passionate entrepreneur. His leadership skills, together with his strong direct-to-consumer and digital experience, international business foundations and tech expertise give him the perfect background to drive the growth of HBO Max beyond the United States.”
Larcher said: “Living at the crossroads of digital technology and content, I’m thrilled to help create unforgettable entertainment experiences for consumers in international markets and make HBO Max an indispensable streaming service around the world.”
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