Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are set to operate under a new corporate name as their blockbuster merger moves closer to completion.
The combined company will be called Skydance Corporation, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has confirmed, with the roughly $110 billion merger expected to close on October 6, 2026.
Despite the new corporate identity, two of Hollywood’s most recognizable studio brands will remain intact. Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. will continue operating under their existing names, with Skydance serving as the parent company overseeing the combined entertainment business.
Ellison explained that the decision was intended to give the newly merged company an identity of its own without overshadowing the legacies of Paramount and Warner Bros.
The Skydance name comes from Skydance Media, the production company founded by Ellison in 2006. Skydance later became closely tied to Paramount after Paramount Global acquired the company in 2025.
Once the deal closes, Skydance will bring together an enormous collection of entertainment properties and businesses. Its portfolio will include Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Paramount+, HBO Max, CBS, CNN, MTV, Comedy Central, TBS and Food Network, among others.
The combined company will also control major franchises including Harry Potter, DC, The Lord of the Rings, Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, Yellowstone and the wider HBO library.
The merger has taken months to reach this stage and faced regulatory opposition in the United States. A California-led group of 12 states had challenged the transaction on antitrust grounds, but a settlement approved by a federal judge on September 30 cleared the final major legal obstacle to the deal.
As part of the settlement, Paramount agreed to several commitments, including minimum theatrical releases and additional investment in U.S. film production. The company is also required to establish a workforce fund for employees affected by the merger.
Ellison will lead the new company as chairman and CEO, while former Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz is set to serve as co-CEO. The company’s Class B shares are also expected to move from Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker SKYD when the merger closes.
If completed as scheduled, the merger will create one of Hollywood’s largest entertainment companies, combining two historic film studios, major streaming platforms and some of the world’s most recognizable television and film franchises under a single corporate umbrella.
