Paramount and Warner Bros. merger will be named Skydance

Paramount Skydance chief executive David Ellison announced on 2 October 2026 that the combined company formed by the roughly $110 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will be called Skydance. The deal is expected to close on 6 October 2026, uniting two major Hollywood studios, the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming services, and networks including CBS, CNN, MTV, TBS, Comedy Central, and Food Network.9to5mac.com+1

The name choice signals Ellison's intent to keep Paramount and Warner Bros. as public-facing brands rather than replacing them with a single new identity. Ellison wrote on X that the company wanted a name giving the combined entity an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. and all their brands to remain in the spotlight. Skydance is the name of the film production company Ellison founded in 2006.theverge.com

What the name announcement changes

The merger brings together franchises including The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, Yellowstone, and the Harry Potter franchise. Ellison framed the combination as equipping the studios with a more powerful engine rather than rewriting their history, writing that Paramount and Warner Bros. shaped over a century of culture. Paramount Skydance will complete its acquisition of Warner Bros. on Tuesday, 6 October.engadget.com

Paramount has appointed Ynon Kreiz, the former chairman and chief executive of Mattel, as co-CEO of the combined company ahead of the close. The merger followed a drawn-out corporate battle in which Netflix had agreed to acquire Warner Bros.' streaming and studio businesses before the broader Paramount deal moved forward. Ellison announced the Skydance name in his first post on a newly created account on X.

How the deal cleared regulators

Under the settlement, Paramount must release a minimum number of theatrical films over the next five years, starting with 30 annually in years one and two. Paramount has also reportedly committed to 30 theatrical movie releases a year. According to a CNN report cited by Engadget, Paramount signed off on a news editorial independence board that will oversee both CNN and CBS News within the combined company.

Ellison said earlier that Paramount+ and HBO Max would be combined into one streaming service if regulators approved the acquisition, telling an investor call that a combined service would have about 200 million subscribers given existing totals. Paramount executives did not offer details on pricing or the name of a combined service, and Ellison said he would not disrupt the HBO brand, saying HBO should stay HBO.

There has been no timeline communicated for HBO Max and Paramount+ to merge, and details may come after the merger closes. A top comment on 9to5Mac argued Skydance will function as a holding company similar to Alphabet, with the public-facing brands remaining Paramount and Warner Bros. separately, disputing speculation that Skydance will also name the streaming service.

What happens on 6 October

Concerns remain about the editorial independence of CNN and CBS News, both of which will sit inside Skydance after the merger. The news editorial independence board reported is designed to oversee both networks. The settlement with the 12 states also imposes the theatrical release obligations on Paramount for the next five years, beginning with 30 films a year in the first two years.

The merger is expected to close on 6 October 2026, after which Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will operate as Skydance. The combined company will control Paramount+ and HBO Max, the CBS, CNN, MTV, TBS, Comedy Central, and Food Network channels, and franchises spanning the DC Universe, Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, Yellowstone, and Harry Potter.

Ellison closed his announcement by saying he could not be more excited about what the company will build together, and that Skydance will pursue big goals with passion, imagination, and a willingness to take smart risks while honouring what makes Paramount and Warner Bros. special. The deal's close on 6 October 2026 will trigger the leadership structure that names Kreiz co-CEO alongside Ellison. The next dated event is the expected close of the merger on 6 October 2026, when the combined company formally begins operating as Skydance and the settlement's theatrical release obligations take effect, requiring Paramount to release 30 theatrical films annually in years one and two of the five-year commitment.