Aug 7 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery ( WBD ) posted a

surprise second-quarter profit on Thursday, as its subscriber

based expanded from the international rollout of HBO Max and

blockbuster hits like "A Minecraft Movie" boosted the studio

unit.

As the company restructures into studio-focused Warner Bros

and cable-centric Discovery Global, it is accelerating its

global streaming expansion by bringing the Warner Bros and DC

universes to international markets.

It gained 3.4 million global streaming subscribers in the

quarter ended June, fueled by the launch of rebranded HBO Max in

Australia. Analysts at Visible Alpha had expected 2.71

additions.

With HBO Max's July launch in Albania, Armenia, Georgia, and

nine other regions, the service is now available in more than 90

countries and territories.

"A Minecraft Movie", inspired by the iconic video game,

grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide, while Michael B. Jordan

starrer "Sinners" powered past $360 million at the global box

office.

A title-heavy quarter led to 55% growth in studio, pushing

total revenue to $9.81 billion in the second quarter and beating

expectations for $9.76 billion, according to data compiled by

LSEG.

The July release of DC movie "Superman" is expected to

further drive growth for the company.

During the quarter, the streaming platform also saw hits

like the season finale of medical drama series "The Pitt".

The company's streaming unit posted an adjusted core profit

of $293 million, compared with a loss of $107 million a year

ago. Advertising revenue in the segment grew 17.5%, primarily

driven by an increase in ad-lite subscribers.

The company posted a quarterly profit of 63 cents per share,

compared with expectations for a loss of 21 cents.

(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by

Arun Koyyur)