Gerhard Zeiler to receive 2026 International Emmy Directorate Award

MUMBAI: Zeiler is getting his prime-time moment. Gerhard Zeiler, President of International at Warner Bros. Discovery, will receive the 2026 International Emmy Directorate Award, recognising a career that has spanned some of the biggest transformations in global television.

Zeiler will accept the honour at the 54th International Emmy Awards Gala on 23 November 2026 in New York City. The award recognises his contribution to the international television business across broadcasting, content, sports and streaming.

“Gerhard Zeiler has built and led some of the world’s most influential media businesses, helping shape the international television industry through periods of profound change,” said Bruce L. Paisner, President and CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Zeiler currently oversees Warner Bros. Discovery’s international operations and has played a key role in the company’s global transformation following the 2022 merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. He has also supported strategic partnerships that helped take HBO Max from a single market to more than 130 countries in just over three years.

His international media career stretches back to Austria’s public broadcaster ORF before he moved to German commercial broadcaster RTL. As CEO, Zeiler helped turn RTL from a collection of national channels into a more integrated international media business and strengthened its position as a global formats player.

Under his leadership, formats including Idols, Got Talent and The X Factor were successfully exported to the US, while RTL expanded its international, financial and creative footprint.

Zeiler later joined Turner Broadcasting System in 2012, where he expanded international operations across regional sports and pay-TV businesses. He subsequently worked on reshaping WarnerMedia’s commercial model by bringing together affiliate and advertising sales.

In 2020, he became President of WarnerMedia International, before continuing in the international leadership role following the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger.

The award comes as Zeiler remains involved in one of the industry’s biggest global shifts: bringing together traditional television businesses, international content operations and streaming platforms across markets.

Reflecting on the recognition, Zeiler said his passion for media began early and that television’s ability to connect people across cultures had shaped his career. He also highlighted the importance of understanding both global trends and local nuances when building international media businesses.

The International Academy will also honour Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer of Netflix, with the International Emmy Founders Award.

The 2026 ceremony will therefore bring together two executives whose careers have been closely tied to the international expansion of television and streaming, with Zeiler’s award placing the spotlight on a career built around taking media beyond borders.