Warner Bros Discovery Trading Volume Plummets 31.66% to 323rd Rank Amid Shareholder Pay Discontent

On June 3, 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) experienced a significant decline in trading volume, with a total of $315 million in shares traded, marking a 31.66% decrease from the previous day. This drop placed WBD at the 323rd position in terms of trading volume for the day. The stock price of WBD also decreased by 0.60%.

Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have expressed their dissatisfaction with the 2024 compensation packages for the company's executives, including CEO David Zaslav. In a non-binding "Say-on-Pay" vote during the annual meeting, shareholders rejected the proposed compensation packages by a margin of 1,063,214,128 votes to 724,453,004 votes. This vote, while advisory, could potentially influence future adjustments to executive compensation.

David Zaslav's total compensation for 2024 amounted to $51.9 million, reflecting a 4.5% increase from the previous year. His compensation package included a base salary of $3 million, $23.1 million in stock awards, $23.9 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation, and $1.92 million in other compensation. This other compensation included various benefits such as life insurance, disability payments, 401(k) matching contributions, car allowance, personal security costs, and the use of corporate aircraft.

In addition to Zaslav, other top executives at Warner Bros. Discovery also received substantial compensation packages. Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels earned $17.06 million, while JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games, received $19.7 million. Bruce Campbell, Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer, earned $19.8 million, and Gerhard Zeiler, International President, received $14.8 million. These compensation packages included a mix of salaries, stock awards, option awards, and other benefits.