Former WarnerMedia CEO, Jason Kilar, has taken a seat on the board of directors at Roblox, the online gaming platform. This appointment, effective from September 13, brings Kilar alongside board chairman and Roblox CEO, David Baszucki, as well as lead independent director, Anthony P. Lee, and board members Gregory Baszucki, Christopher Carvalho, Gina Mastantuono, and Andrea Wong.
Roblox’s decision to add Kilar to its board signals its intent to diversify beyond gaming and become a broader entertainment platform. Kilar brings with him over 15 years of experience as a chief executive in the media and entertainment industry, most recently as the CEO of WarnerMedia. Prior to that, he co-founded and led the subscription video service Vessel, which Verizon acquired in 2016. He also played a pivotal role in co-founding and serving as the CEO of Hulu before stepping down in 2013 to join the board of directors at DreamWorks Animation.
Currently, Kilar serves on the boards of Wealthfront Inc. and Opendoor Technologies Inc. He holds a BA in journalism and business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Harvard Business School, according to Roblox’s announcement.
This addition comes at a strategic time for Roblox, as its user base is aging, and the company aims to cater to a slightly older demographic with new offerings. At its recent developer conference, Roblox announced plans to introduce avatar-based voice calls and expand its user base to include those aged 17 and above. Roblox CEO David Baszucki even suggested that thousands of adults could potentially meet and form real-life relationships through the platform over the next five years.
Furthermore, Roblox envisions a future where users can use generative AI tools to create avatars and clothing through text prompts. The platform is also gaining traction in the virtual reality (VR) space, with its Meta Quest VR app surpassing 1 million downloads.
Roblox currently boasts 66 million daily active users, and approximately 40% of its daily active user base is aged 17 or older, as of last year. The company plans to provide virtual worlds with more mature themes, including violence, romance, crude humor, gambling, and alcohol, in an effort to evolve into more of a media and entertainment business alongside its kid-friendly games like pizza-making, theme park building, obstacle courses, and pet adoption.
Kilar’s extensive experience is expected to be an asset in pursuing these initiatives and navigating the challenges of serving diverse audience demographics on a single platform.
Roblox CEO David Baszucki commented on the appointment, saying, “Jason Kilar is a well-respected leader in the entertainment and media industry, and his experience in the space is of value to the Board as Roblox continues to scale globally.” Kilar expressed his excitement, saying, “Roblox is changing the way people come together and changing how creators can create delightful experiences for them. I am excited to join the board and do all I can to help bring Roblox’s vision to life.”
The news of Kilar’s appointment received congratulations from various quarters, including analysts, investors, and media, as well as Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, who referred to it as “A great combo!”
