WarnerMedia has appointed Jason Monteiro, GM of HBO Max Southeast Asia and Hong Kong to join the company immediately. Shahid, the leading Arabic content streaming platform, has hired him. Before that, Iflix, an Asian regional streamer, was his home.
Based in Singapore, Monteiro will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer business, leading content experience, brand, marketing, subscriber management, digital partnerships and data analytics.
While the company has not yet announced a launch date, HBO Max will be available in Southeast Asia in August. However, HBO Go is being offered in eight markets as an interim service.
WarnerMedia said that Monteiro will oversee HBO Go and the eventual launch of HBO Max in the region, building and leading a team of cross-functional executives to maximize the streamer’s success.
His hiring follows Amit Malhotra’s surprise departure last week from WarnerMedia. He is an experienced streaming executive who only joined Disney Plus in June 2013.
Sources close to the group explained that Monteiro’s role is not a like-for-like replacement of Malhotra. Malhotra had been HBO Max International’s MD of India, SEA and Korea (INSEAK), a role that is still vacant.
“Jason arrives at HBO Max with a proven track record of building and growing subscription services across Asia and other important global markets,”Johannes Larcher, the head of HBO Max International, said that Monteiro will temporarily report to him until a new MD is appointed for the wider INSEAK. “He’s a passionate leader known for building and inspiring high-performing teams, and I’m eager to see his leadership in action as he steps into his new role.”
Monteiro was the director of AVOD for Shahid. There, he was responsible for the general management of the streaming platform’s free tier, covering user growth and engagement, overseeing the content catalogue and monetizing through advertising solutions. Monteiro served as the GM of Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries for Iflix before Shahid. He was also the company’s chief marketing officer. He also served as the company’s chief marketing officer.