Ellison names combined Paramount–Warner Bros. company Skydance
Paramount CEO David Ellison said Friday the merged Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery company will be called Skydance, after his film studio. The roughly $111 billion deal is expected to close Oct. 6, with Paramount and Warner Bros. kept as studio brands.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Ellison announced the name in a post on X, Variety, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter reported. Skydance will be the corporate parent. Paramount and Warner Bros. will remain as studio brands under that umbrella. The roughly $111 billion deal is expected to close Oct. 6, the companies have said.
Why it matters
The combo would put two major Hollywood studios, Paramount+ and HBO Max, plus CBS, CNN, and other networks under one holding company. Variety said projected debt would run north of $80 billion after financing the takeover.
What’s next
Watch the Oct. 6 close, the NYSE debut under SKYD, and Kreiz’s first days as co-CEO.
More context
Paramount CEO David Ellison said Friday that once Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery finish merging, the combined company will be named Skydance — the title of the film studio he founded.
Stock and legal name: An SEC filing Friday said the company plans to move its Class B shares from Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 6 and change its ticker from PSKY to SKYD, Variety and THR reported. It also intends to change its legal name to Skydance Corporation, effective the same day, Reuters reported.
Why this name: Ellison wrote that Paramount and Warner Bros. have distinct identities and that a new corporate label should not overshadow either brand. “We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one,” he said in the post quoted by the trades.
Leadership: Ellison remains chairman and CEO. Former Mattel chief Ynon Kreiz is set to join as co-CEO on Oct. 5, Variety reported.
How we got here: A federal judge on Sep. 30 approved Paramount’s antitrust settlement with 12 state attorneys general, clearing the last major U.S. court hurdle. Netflix had earlier agreed to buy Warner Bros.’ studio and streaming businesses before Paramount’s broader bid prevailed.
Uncertainty: Closing still depends on final mechanics next week. Exact consumer branding for each channel and streamer may keep evolving after Oct. 6.
6 listed sources
- Variety (Todd Spangler), Oct 2, 2026: New name of Paramount-Warner Bros. unveiled as Skydance
- Deadline (Dade Hayes), Oct 2, 2026: Paramount-WBD will now be called Skydance, David Ellison reveals
- The Hollywood Reporter (Alex Weprin), Oct 2, 2026: Ellison brands combined Paramount-Warner Bros. as Skydance
- Reuters via StreetInsider, Oct 2, 2026: David Ellison says combined Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery will be named Skydance
- BNN Bloomberg, Oct 2, 2026: Combined Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery will be named Skydance
- Sourcing note: Core facts confirmed across Variety, Deadline, and THR; dollar figures attributed where outlets differ ($111B vs ~$110B).
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Name announcement from Ellison’s Oct. 2 X post as reported by Variety (Todd Spangler), Deadline (Dade Hayes), and The Hollywood Reporter (Alex Weprin). Deal size ~$111B and Oct. 6 close from Variety/prior US Brief coverage; Deadline used ~$110B. Ticker SKYD and NYSE move from company SEC filing coverage in Variety and THR. Leadership (Kreiz co-CEO Oct. 5) from Variety. Debt and Gulf ownership figures attributed to Variety. Re-checked 5:00 PM PT Oct 2: facts unchanged (Reuters, Axios, SEC 8-K); added Reuters wire and Oct. 6 effective date for the legal name change.
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