Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will operate under the Skydance corporate name once their roughly $110 billion merger closes, Paramount CEO David Ellison announced Friday.
The transaction is expected to close on October 6, bringing two major Hollywood studios, Paramount+ and HBO Max, and television networks including CBS, CNN, MTV, TBS, Comedy Central and Food Network under one company.
The combined business will also control major entertainment franchises including The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe and Yellowstone.
Paramount and Warner Bros. names will remain
In a post on X, Ellison said the Paramount and Warner Bros. brands will continue under their existing names. Skydance will instead provide a separate corporate identity for the merged business.
The merger followed a prolonged corporate battle over Warner Bros. Discovery. Netflix had previously agreed to acquire the company’s streaming and studio businesses before the broader Paramount transaction moved forward.
The deal also faced legal opposition from 12 states, which argued that the combination could reduce competition and harm consumers and workers. A judge this week approved a settlement with the state attorneys general, removing one of the remaining obstacles before the expected closing.
