Paramount settles on name for merged company
Paramount settles on name for merged company
CEO David Ellison will call the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery ‘Skydance,’ and is likely to keep its main streamers separate.
Paramount Skydance is putting its ducks in a row following the approval of a settlement deal that cleared the way for its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Now that the combination is assured, Paramount has begun making key decisions about the post-merger fates of the two companies, including their flagship streamers HBO Max and Paramount+.
Key Details:
- Short and sweet: The combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will be called Skydance.
- Better apart: Despite previous reports, the company is likely to keep Paramount+ and HBO Max separate.
- Appointments: Paramount has begun naming executives to staff the new Skydance’s top offices.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has settled on the name Skydance for the new company once the merger with WBD is complete. It’s something of a blast from the past for Ellison, who piloted Skydance through its acquisition of Paramount Global, then spearheaded the purchase of WBD.
Ellison has already made one major executive decision, tapping Casey Bloys to lead the streaming arm of the new Skydance. Bloys has indicated at the 2026 Bloomberg Screentime event that Paramount+ and HBO Max are likely to be bundled, but they may not be fully combined, as was reported previously.
The combination of Paramount+ and HBO Max would have created a super-sized streaming service with a ton of big-name IP. Still, it makes sense for Skydance to keep the two streamers separate; they offer very different content libraries overall, and their individual brands are quite well established.
In addition to Bloys, Ellison has appointed former Mattel chief Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO of the new Skydance. On Monday, Ellison and Kreiz announced the leadership team of the merged company; CBS president George Cheeks has been named chief content officer of Skydance, with former WBD streaming head J.B. Perrette to serve as Chief Business Officer of Skydance TV. James Gunn and Peter Safran will continue as co-chairmen of DC Studios at Skydance.
Details about the new Skydance will likely continue to drop at an accelerated pace now that the merger of Paramount and WBD is officially a go. Keep checking with The Streamable to stay on top of the latest news from Paramount or WBD; the merger is expected to close for good on Oct. 6.
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HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
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Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
