Highlights
- The combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery company will be called Skydance.
- David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz will share the co-CEO role once the merger closes.
- The entertainment giant will bring Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., CBS, CNN, HBO, Nickelodeon and Paramount+ under one corporate umbrella.
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have revealed the name of the company that will emerge from their $110 billion merger.
The combined company will be called Skydance, Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison announced on Friday. While the new parent company will have its own identity, Paramount and Warner Bros. will retain their individual brands and creative identities.
“Together, we are Skydance,” Ellison said, describing the new company as a “creative-first home for bold, quality storytelling”.
Why is the new company called Skydance?
Ellison said the name was chosen to give the merged company an identity of its own without overshadowing the long-established Paramount and Warner Bros. brands.
He said both studios have “distinct identities” and legacies that have connected with audiences for generations. The plan is therefore to keep those names in the spotlight while using Skydance as the identity for the combined company.
The new company is expected to become one of the biggest entertainment businesses in the world, with a portfolio spanning film, television, news and streaming.
Who will run Skydance?
Ellison and Ynon Kreiz will share the co-CEO role once the merger closes.
Ellison will remain chairman and CEO, focusing on long-term strategy, creative vision, technology and capital allocation. Kreiz, who is stepping down as Mattel’s CEO, will oversee operations and the integration of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The merger received approval from a federal judge this week after facing significant legal challenges. Paramount Skydance also reached a settlement with 12 state attorneys general who had challenged the deal on antitrust grounds.
What will the new company own?
The combined portfolio will include some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, CBS, CNN, HBO, HBO Max, Nickelodeon and Paramount+.
The company said its brands will serve audiences across more than 200 countries and territories.
As part of the settlement, the company must release at least 30 films a year in US theatres and increase domestic production spending by at least $300 million annually above 2025 levels.
The agreement also prevents the company from selling or closing the Paramount or Warner Bros. studio lots and requires it to establish a five-member editorial independence board overseeing CBS News and CNN.
