Jason Kilar, former CEO of WarnerMedia, has joined the board of online gaming platform company Roblox. The appointment, effective September 13, will see Kilar join Roblox Chairman and CEO David Baszucki, as well as lead independent director Anthony P. Lee, and board members Gregory Baszucki, Christopher Carvalho, Gina Mastantuono, and Andrea Wong.
The appointment signals Roblox’s interest in expanding beyond gaming to be more of a general entertainment platform, given Kilar’s prior experience as a CEO at media and entertainment companies for over 15 years, most recently as CEO of WarnerMedia. Before that, Kilar was the co-founder and CEO of video subscription service Vessel, which was acquired by Verizon in 2016. He also helped found Hulu and served as its CEO, before announcing his resignation in 2013 when he subsequently joined Hulu. Board of Directors at DreamWorks Animation.
Kilar currently serves on the Board of Directors of Wealthfront Inc. and Opendoor Technologies Inc. The CEO also holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and Roblox’s advertisement States.
This addition comes at a time when Roblox’s user base is aging and the company is looking to cater to the slightly older demographic with new experiences.
At its annual developer conference, the company recently announced its plans to introduce avatar-based voice calling, as part of its broader initiative to cater to users aged 17 and above. During the conference keynote, Roblox CEO David Baszucki said Also suggested That thousands of adults will eventually meet and form real-life relationships through Roblox over the next five years.
Additionally, the company envisions a future where users can leverage generative AI tools to create their own avatars or outfits using text prompts. The app is gaining traction in the world of virtual reality, where Meta Quest VR is located It has exceeded one million downloads.
Roblox today has 66 million daily active users, and noted that its over-17 group made up about 40% of its daily active user base as of last year. The company said it aims to provide this group with virtual worlds that contain more violence, romance, crude humor, and depictions of gambling and alcohol. This could expand Roblox into more of an informational and entertainment space than just that Kid-friendly games Do it – like the ones where you make pizza, create theme parks, play pretend, move through obstacle courses (aka obbys), or adopt adorable pets.
Kilar’s experience can benefit the company in these endeavors, as well as the challenges that arise from meeting the needs of different audience demographics through a single platform.
“Jason Kilar is a well-respected leader in the entertainment and media industry, and his industry experience is valuable to the board as Roblox continues to expand globally,” Roblox CEO David Baszucki said in a statement.
“I am honored to join Roblox, a company I have long admired and cheered for from afar as it looked to the future,” Jason Kilar noted. “Roblox is changing the way people come together and changing the way creators can create delightful experiences. I’m excited to join the board and do everything I can to help realize Roblox’s vision.”
On X, Kilar News He has received a number of congratulations, including from analysts, investors and the media, as well Spotify CEO Daniel Ekwho described the move as a “fantastic combination.”