WarnerMedia hires Turkcell OTT head to lead HBO Max in Turkey

WarnerMedia has continued to lay the groundwork for further expansion into Europe with the hire of Turkcell’s Baris Zavaroglu as its director general for HBO Max in Turkey.

Baris Zavaroglu

The exec will be charged with leading Warner’s DTC business when it launches in Turkey later this year. He will oversee the launch and growth of HBO Max in Turkey, reporting to Christina Sulebakk, general manager, HBO Max EMEA.

HBO Max is currently live in 46 territories across the Americas and Europe, with plans to launch in a further 21 European territories including Turkey in 2022.

Zavaroglu joins from Turkcell, where he served as general manager for its OTT and pay TV business TV+. He previously worked for Disney in a senior management role for Eastern Europe and the MENA region and served as CMO for Fox Turkey.

Christina Sulebakk said: “Baris joins us at an important time as we prepare to launch and grow in a strategically important market. His expertise and leadership will prove invaluable as we look to establish and build rapidly in the country as part of our phased roll out in Europe.”

Baris Zavaroglu said: “HBO Max is generating considerable momentum as it rolls out around the world with a deep and diverse content offering that is unlike anything else on the planet. It’s an honour to be tasked with bringing the service to life in Turkey.”