The combined company created after the merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery has an official name. David Ellison announced that the new company will be called Skydance when the merger closes next week.
Ellison, Paramount Skydance’s chairman and CEO, revealed the name in a companywide message and video on Friday, October 2, per Variety. The announcement comes days before the expected October 6 closing of the $110 billion transaction.
A federal judge approved a settlement with 12 state attorneys general on September 30, clearing the remaining legal obstacle to the deal.
The Skydance name will become the corporate identity of the combined business, while Paramount and Warner Bros. will remain recognizable entertainment brands. The portfolio will include Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, CBS, CNN, HBO, HBO Max, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and other major properties.
What did David Ellison say about the Warner Bros. and Paramount deal?
According to Ellison, the new company will preserve the identities of both studios while bringing their businesses together under one corporate name. The decision gives the combined company a separate identity without replacing the Paramount and Warner Bros. brands that audiences already know.
He also detailed the reasoning behind choosing the name Skydance.
“We chose this name for a few important reasons. First and foremost, as we bring Paramount and Warner Bros. together, we wanted to preserve what has made each of these studios iconic,” Ellison wrote in his tweet.
“Both have distinct identities, extraordinary legacies, and brands that have resonated with audiences for generations. We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter, or overshadow either one. Instead, we wanted a name that would give the combined company an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. — and all our extraordinary brands — to remain in the spotlight.”
The deal will also bring Ynon Kreiz, the former Mattel chairman and CEO, into the company as co-CEO. Ellison will continue as chairman and CEO, overseeing strategy, creative operations, and technology. Kreiz will handle day-to-day operations and integration of the combined businesses.