Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are about to complete one of the largest concentration operations in the entertainment industry and the name that will identify the resulting group is already known. Skydance will be the new corporate name once the merger is closed, as announced by David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance.
The election means extending to the new conglomerate the name of the production company that Ellison founded two decades ago and which completed its integration with Paramount in 2025. However, the operation does not imply the disappearance of the Paramount and Warner Bros. brands, which will continue to function as differentiated identities within the new structure.
“By bringing them together, we are giving these iconic studios a more powerful engine”
“Paramount and Warner Bros. have shaped more than a century of culture. By bringing them together, we are not rewriting history, we are giving these iconic studios a more powerful engine”explained Ellison when presenting the new name.
Skydance as a corporate brand
The brand architecture strategy is especially relevant in an operation that brings together two historic names in entertainment. According to Ellison, the intention was to find its own corporate identity that would not require diluting either of the two banners. “Both have distinctive identities, extraordinary legacies and brands that have connected with audiences for generations”the manager has pointed out. “We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or eclipse either one.”
In this way, Skydance will function as a corporate umbrella, while Paramount, Warner Bros. and the rest of the group’s brands will maintain prominence for audiences. The structure will bring together under one company film and television studios, streaming platforms and networks such as HBO Max, Paramount+, CBS and CNN, in addition to a wide catalog of intellectual properties.
The choice of name also reinforces Ellison’s weight in the new stage. Skydance Media was founded by the businessman in 2006 and was later integrated with Paramount, giving rise to Paramount Skydance. Now that name will be extended to the entire organization after incorporating Warner Bros. Discovery.
The merger is scheduled to be completed this October 6, 2026, provided that the usual conditions for the closing of the operation are met. Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced that date on September 30.
The transaction, valued at around $110 billion, has gone through a lengthy regulatory and legal process. Paramount had obtained the necessary regulatory approvals in 68 jurisdictions, but the operation continued to face a lawsuit filed by attorneys general of twelve US states.
The last obstacle was cleared after a federal judge approved the agreement reached between the parties, definitively opening the way to complete the operation. Among the commitments associated with the agreement is maintaining a certain volume of production and film releases in the United States during the coming years.
The result will be one of the largest entertainment groups in the world, with businesses spanning film and television production, traditional television, news, streaming and some of the industry’s most recognizable franchises.
The company has also defined the structure with which it will face the integration. David Ellison will continue as President and CEO, while Ynon Kreiz will serve as Co-CEO and will be part of the Board of Directors once the transaction is completed. Kreiz joins from Mattel, a company he has led since 2018.
The distribution of functions establishes two differentiated areas. Ellison will primarily focus on long-term strategy, creative vision, technology, talent relationships, strategic alliances and capital allocation. Kreiz will assume greater responsibility over day-to-day operations and, especially, the integration of the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery businesses.
Kreiz has more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. Before Mattel he was CEO of Maker Studios and Endemol Group and participated in the founding of Fox Kids Europe. During his time at the head of Mattel, he promoted the strategy to exploit the company’s intellectual properties beyond the traditional toy business, with “Barbie” as one of its main audiovisual milestones.
