Former WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar joined Roblox's board. He will join Roblox CEO and Board Chairman David Baszucki, Lead Independent Director Anthony P. Lee, and board members Gregory Baszucki, Christopher Carvalho, Gina Mastantuono, and Andrea Wong on September 13.
Roblox's appointment of Jason Kilar to its board of directors shows its desire to go beyond gaming into entertainment, according to TechCrunch. Kilar's rich expertise as a CEO of media and entertainment businesses for over 15 years, culminating in his position as CEO of WarnerMedia, is the basis of this move of the global gaming corporation.
Along with co-founding and leading the subscription video service Vessel, which Verizon finally acquired in 2016, Jason Kilar also co-founded and led Hulu. He joined the DreamWorks Animation board of directors in 2013 after leaving Hulu. Currently, Wealthfront Inc. and Opendoor Technologies Inc. have Jason Kilar on their boards of directors. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in journalism and business administration from UNC Chapel Hill.
Roblox is Shifting Strategies
Kilar's appointment coincides with the maturing of the Roblox user base, which pushed the online game platform to broaden its product offering in order to cater to a somewhat older demographic with new experiences.
David Baszucki, the chairman and CEO of Roblox, voiced his confidence in Kilar by saying, "Jason Kilar is a well-respected leader in the entertainment and media industry, and his experience in the space is of value to the Board as Roblox continues to scale globally," as quoted by Variety.
The report also quoted Kilar expressing his excitement at joining the board of directors of Roblox: "I am honored to join Roblox, a company I have long admired and cheered from afar as they leaned into the future. Roblox is changing the way people come together and changing how creators can create delightful experiences for them. I am excited to join the board and do all I can to help bring Roblox's vision to life."
Am very excited to join the Board of Roblox today. Have long admired what @DavidBaszucki and the team have created and continue to innovate. Such a great team, such a great company. pic.twitter.com/TQ9oNVGyk6
— Jason Kilar (@jasonkilar) September 14, 2023
On the Roblox board, Andrea Wong, a former senior TV executive, and Kilar are newcomers, according to a report from Deadline.
Currently, Roblox has 66 million daily active users, with players over the age of 17 making up over 40% of that number as of the previous year. Roblox may expand into media and entertainment by targeting older consumers with virtual worlds that include violence, romance, crass comedy, gambling, and alcohol.
