The $110 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery is complete, forming Skydance.
CEO David Ellison said on Tuesday, “Today is a historic day, not just for Skydance but for our entire industry.
“From the start, our ambition was to bring these two storied studios together and create a stronger competitor, with the talent, resources, and reach to tell great stories in every genre, on every platform, for audiences everywhere. Now that ambition is a reality.”
The journey to this stage
Warner Bros. Discovery has been shopped since last year, with Netflix initially taking pole position over Paramount.
Paramount had only been acquired by Ellison’s Skydance company in 2025, but he was desperate to snatch up Warner Bros. as well.
Ellison was able to swoop in on Warner Bros. from under Netflix’s nose, and the merger was approved in June.
However, 11 states opposed Ellison’s plans, citing anti-competition concerns.
After all, this is two of the five major studios merging, leaving Disney (which absorbed 20th Century Fox), Universal Pictures, and Sony Pictures as the other three.
Still, the parties agreed to a settlement in September that will hold Skydance accountable for producing 30 films a year and more than 180 television shows.
A 45-day theatrical window will also be honoured.
The Skydance banner
While content will still be made under the guise of Paramount, Warner Bros. and HBO, etc., the wider Ellison entertainment behemoth will be known as Skydance.
This naming convention was unveiled last week, whereupon a statement read: “Paramount and Warner Bros. shaped over a century of culture.
“By combining them, we aren’t rewriting history — we’re equipping these iconic studios with a more powerful engine.
“Together, we are Skydance: a creative-first home for bold, quality storytelling.”
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