David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz on Monday named the senior leadership team that will run the combined company once Paramount closes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, expected Tuesday. The merged business will be called Skydance.
Ellison, currently chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance, will remain chairman and chief executive, focused on long-term strategy, creative direction, talent relationships, technology, and capital allocation. Kreiz, who stepped down as chairman and CEO of Mattel last week, joins as co-CEO and will oversee day-to-day management and integration. Andy Gordon, who helped structure both the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery deals, will serve as president and work with both executives. All three will sit on the board, with Ellison as chairman.
The announcement, posted by Ellison on X and detailed in a company release, frames the team as a mix of operators and creative leaders drawn from both companies. “Together, Paramount and Warner Bros. will form a creative-first home with the scale, imagination and technology to define entertainment for a generation,” Ellison said. Kreiz described the goals as establishing Skydance as a leading content engine, accelerating an integrated direct-to-consumer platform, and optimizing the linear television portfolio.
Streaming and television
Casey Bloys, currently chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, becomes co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance DTC, with oversight of HBO Max and Paramount+ originals and broader streaming strategy. George Cheeks, who has run CBS and Paramount’s television media operations, becomes co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance TV. His remit covers Warner Bros. Television Studios, CBS Studios, and Paramount Television Studios, plus the CBS network, local stations, sports, and a large cable portfolio that includes HGTV, Food Network, TBS, TNT, Discovery, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon.
JB Perrette, previously Warner Bros. Discovery’s global streaming and games chief, will serve as co-chair and chief business officer for both Skydance TV and Skydance DTC, covering distribution, advertising, content sales, and related operations.
Film and DC
Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein will co-chair the Skydance Motion Picture Group, overseeing Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and the broader film slate. Goldberg previously ran production and creative at Skydance Media; Greenstein had been co-chair of Paramount Pictures. Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy are not joining the new company.
James Gunn and Peter Safran will continue as co-chairmen of DC Studios.
Corporate and news
The corporate team includes Dennis Cinelli as chief financial officer, Makan Delrahim as chief legal officer and president of global corporate affairs, Dane Glasgow as chief product officer, Rebecca Mall as chief marketing officer, and Melissa Zukerman as chief communications officer.
On the news side, Mark Thompson will serve as chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide, and Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
The company said a fuller executive leadership list will follow after the deal closes. The combination, valued at roughly $111 billion and cleared after a settlement of state antitrust claims, will leave the new Skydance with substantial debt. Common stock is set to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SKYD beginning Tuesday.
The structure pairs Ellison’s creative and technology emphasis with Kreiz’s operating background—Kreiz previously led Mattel through the expansion that produced the 2023 Barbie film, and earlier ran Maker Studios and Endemol. The business leaders retain several of the executives most closely associated with recent hits at HBO, Paramount, and DC, while consolidating film, television, and streaming under a single reporting line to the co-CEOs.
