Sam Register, the long-serving president of Warner Bros. Animation, is departing the studio after 18 years in charge, in a move his boss Channing Dungey admitted came as a surprise to staff. Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD US Networks, told employees in a memo that she and Register had "mutually agreed" not to renew his contract, which is due to expire next week. The exit marks a significant leadership change at one of the industry's major animation studios, whose output has shaped children's and family television for nearly two decades.

Register joined Cartoon Network in the late 1990s, helping launch its website, before rising to lead Warner Bros. Animation and later expanding his remit to include Cartoon Network Studios in 2020 and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe in 2021. He executive produced shows including Ben 10, Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!, The Looney Tunes Show and Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated. While a successor is sought, business operations will continue under Matt Matzkin, with existing creative department heads overseeing their respective areas in the interim.