Internship Spotlight: Ryan Kelley ’26, Warner Bros. Discovery
Ryan Kelley drew on SOM coursework, alongside experience as a consultant and podcast producer, to help shape the entertainment giant’s podcast strategy.
Internship: Podcast Strategy, Warner Bros. Discovery, Los Angeles, California
Hometown: Wellesley, Massachusetts
Pronouns: he/him/his
The SOM class you’re using on the job: Probability Modelling & Statistics, Modeling Managerial Decisions
Go-to work lunch: Trader Joe’s burritos
After-work routine: Swimming in the ocean
Favorite thing about LA: The privilege of building patience in traffic on the 405
This summer, I’m working on podcast strategy at Warner Bros. Discovery. Our team oversees the HBO Max companion podcasts for shows like The White Lotus and The Last of Us alongside a broader slate of true crime, adventure, and cooking shows. I’ve been focused on growing and monetizing the portfolio.
Before business school, I worked in consulting at OC&C Strategy and produced the Freakonomics Radio NPR show and podcast—so this role is the ultimate collab of my past experiences. My main project has involved building a forecasting model that uses HBO Max platform data to support podcast greenlight decisions and generate sharper audience estimates for partners. I’ve run a lot of regressions, so SOM’s Probability Modelling & Statistics class has proven incredibly helpful. I also surprised myself by remembering how to use linear programming optimization from Dean Anjani’s Modeling Managerial Decisions class. And frameworks from the core courses Competitor and Customer have been valuable for analyzing industry trends, like the rise of video podcasts and the growth of premium audio subscriptions.
Outside of work, I’ve been busy experiencing Los Angeles for the first time. I rented a 1908 bungalow in Venice Beach filled with plants—so that’s fun! On weekends, I’ve watched Shohei Ohtani hit a home run at Dodger Stadium, braved the Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel, and seen my favorite band live in Griffith Park. Thanks to WBD, I also got to attend early screenings of F1, Superman, and a movie that’s still under embargo!
The company has done a remarkable job giving interns access to senior leadership—decisionmakers from CEO David Zaslav to studio heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy have joined us for Q&As. One piece of advice that stuck with me came from JB Perrette, CEO of global streaming and games, who told us to look for roles with great people, a must-have product, and a real business problem to solve.
The media and entertainment industry is clearly under pressure. Consumers have more choice than ever (especially in the digital ecosystem, where podcasts live) and the impact of AI on production, distribution, and content monetization is just beginning. But the appetite for great stories and trusted information isn’t going anywhere. As I head into my second year at SOM, I’m excited to keep exploring business models and strategies that can power the next chapter of media and storytelling.
Ryan Kelley is a recipient of the Yale SOM Class of 1982 Scholarship (2024–2025).
