Yahoo Lifestyle Series Mania Unveils Keynotes Including WBD International Boss Gerhard Zeiler
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) international boss Gerhard Zeiler will keynote this year’s Series Mania alongside bosses at the French broadcasters.
The annual France confab has unveiled its first set of speakers set for the Lille Dialogues event, which runs March 24 to 27.
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Zeiler, who is President of International for WBD, will “share how this iconic media company is navigating generational changes and leveraging opportunities created by industry disruptions,” according to Series Mania. He is tasked with overseeing the Max rollout in Europe and looks after the international team.
Zeiler’s announcement came after it was revealed streamer Max will launch in Italy in early 2026. In an interview with La Repubblica, Alessandro Araimo, Executive Vice President of South Europe at WBD, said the move will coincide with the February Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, with live action beginning in one year’s time. “It’s an event that generates very strong interest among the audience, as our experience in previous editions demonstrates,” he added.
Zeiler will speak at Series Mania alongside the bosses of France Télévisions, ARTE, M6 and TF1 through the week, who will discuss the shifting landscape in France. Also down to keynote is Ruth Berry, the President of International Distribution at ITV Studios, who will “discuss the reasons why the only constant for content owners is change.”
Other confirmed speakers down for sessions include industry vet Erik Barmack, showrunner Femke Wolting and Johann Choron, who is the Head of Gen AI for Media & Entertainment at Google EMEA.
Series Mania said the 2025 edition will “explore the crucial role of creativity in the international audiovisual industry,” including post-peak TV, funding challenges and AI.
“After a period of euphoria, the audiovisual industry is now facing three major challenges from our perspective,” said Laurence Herszberg, the founder and general director of Series Mania. “First, a funding crisis marked by an intense battle to capture advertising budgets. Second, a sociological challenge, linked to this advertising crisis, given today’s younger generations shift to social platforms, and finally, an industrial revolution, driven by the undeniable impact of artificial intelligence.”
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