Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Company to Be Called Skydance
Paramount and Warner Bros.
Discovery are joining together in a very large merger.
David Ellison said the new parent company will be called Skydance.
Paramount and Warner Bros.
will still keep their own names and studios.
Ellison said Skydance is meant to give the combined company its own identity.
Ellison and Ynon Kreiz will lead the company together as co-CEOs.
Ellison will work on long-term plans and creative decisions.
Kreiz will handle daily operations and help combine the businesses.
The merger was challenged by several states because they worried it could reduce competition.
A judge allowed the merger to proceed after the company agreed to several conditions.
CNN chief Mark Thompson is also discussing whether he will stay and wants assurances about editorial independence.
David Ellison announced that the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery company will be called Skydance.
Paramount and Warner Bros. will remain separate studios with their own brands and identities.
Ellison and departing Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz will serve as co-CEOs when the merger closes.
Ellison will oversee strategy, creative direction, technology and capital allocation, while Kreiz will manage operations and integration.
The $110 billion merger received judicial approval after antitrust litigation, with conditions including film-production and editorial-independence requirements.
- Who
- David Ellison, Ynon Kreiz, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery and CNN chief Mark Thompson are central to the developments.
- What
- The combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery company will be called Skydance, with Ellison and Kreiz as co-CEOs and discussions continuing over Thompson’s CNN role.
- When
- The name was announced on Friday, identified in one article as October 2, 2026; Kreiz’s appointment was announced on September 30, 2026.
- Where
- The merger is subject to conditions in the United States, and the name announcement was made in an online post.
- Why
- Ellison said Skydance would give the combined company its own identity while preserving the separate brands and legacies of Paramount and Warner Bros.
Merger proponents
Merger concerns
Competition and regulatory approval
Merger proponents
The merger received judicial approval after Paramount Skydance reached a settlement with 12 state attorneys general and accepted conditions on film releases, production spending and studio lots.
Merger concerns
The states, led by California, had sought to block the $110 billion merger, arguing that it could create excessive concentration in theatrical film and television markets.
Corporate identity
Merger proponents
Ellison said the Skydance name would provide a distinct identity while keeping Paramount and Warner Bros. and their brands in the spotlight.
Merger concerns
The stated concern was that a new corporate identity could diminish, alter or overshadow the established Paramount and Warner Bros. brands, although Ellison said that was not the intention.
Newsroom independence
Merger proponents
The merger settlement requires a five-member editorial-independence board overseeing CBS News and CNN, while keeping open the possibility that Thompson will remain CNN chief.
Merger concerns
Thompson is seeking assurances about editorial independence and broad control over CNN journalism, and he and the company have not agreed on contract terms.
- New company name
- Skydance
- Merger value
- $110 billion
- Co-CEOs
- David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz
- Ellison’s responsibilities
- Long-term strategy, creative vision, talent relationships, strategic partnerships, technology and capital allocation
- Kreiz’s responsibilities
- Day-to-day management and integration of the combined businesses
- Film output
- One article cites an expected 35 films next year; the merger settlement requires at least 30 films annually in U.S. theaters
- Merger conditions
- The company must increase domestic production spending by at least $300 million annually above 2025 levels, preserve the Paramount and Warner Bros. studio lots, and create an editorial-independence board
- CNN leadership
- Mark Thompson has been asked to remain, but the sides have not agreed on a new contract
