Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery to become 'Skydance' as $110bn merger nears close

Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery will operate as Skydance once their merger closes, Paramount chief executive David Ellison announced on Friday.

Skydance is the name of Ellison’s original film production company. The roughly $110 billion deal is expected to close on October 6, combining two major Hollywood studios, Paramount+ and HBO Max, and networks including CBS, CNN, MTV, TBS, Comedy Central and Food Network. The combined company will also control franchises including “The Lord of the Rings”, “Game of Thrones”, the DC Universe and “Yellowstone”.

The merger followed a drawn-out corporate battle: Netflix had agreed to acquire Warner Bros.’ streaming and studio businesses before the broader Paramount deal moved forward. Twelve states challenged the deal over competition concerns, but a judge approved a settlement with the state attorneys general this week, clearing the final legal hurdle.

Ellison said the Paramount and Warner Bros brands will remain central. “We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one,” he wrote on X. The new name, he said, gives the company “an identity of its own” while letting both studios “remain in the spotlight”.

Sources

• TechCrunch, “Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery to become Skydance”, 2 Oct 2026: https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/02/paramount-and-warner-bros-discovery-to-become-skydance/
• Trevor Decker News, “Warner Bros. and Paramount to Be Called Skydance After Merger”, 2 Oct 2026: https://trevordecker.com/2026/10/02/warner-bros-and-paramount-to-be-called-skydance-after-merger/
• CSI Magazine, “Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery set October 6 merger closing”, 1 Oct 2026: https://www.csimagazine.com/csi/Paramount-WBD-October-6-merger-closing.php