Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery have revealed the corporate name that will sit above their combined entertainment empire: simply Skydance.
Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison announced the name on October 2, 2026, days before the companies expect to complete Paramount’s approximately $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The transaction is currently scheduled to close on October 6, subject to the remaining customary closing conditions.
Importantly, the change does not mean the Paramount or Warner Bros. names are disappearing from movies, television or streaming. Ellison said the purpose of the new corporate identity is to give the combined company a single name while allowing Paramount, Warner Bros. and their individual brands to remain prominent.
The Combined Company Will Simply Be Called Skydance
Once the merger closes, Paramount Skydance Corporation will adopt Skydance as the identity of the combined company.
The name comes from Skydance Media, the production company Ellison founded before merging it with Paramount in 2025. Instead of combining historic names into something like “Paramount Warner Bros.,” Ellison chose the shorter Skydance branding for the new parent company.
Ellison explained that the company wanted an identity of its own without diminishing the legacies of Paramount and Warner Bros.
He described the combined operation as a “creative-first home” for storytelling while emphasizing that both historic studios will retain their identities.
Paramount and Warner Bros. Brands Are Not Being Replaced
The announcement could easily create the impression that Warner Bros. and Paramount are being renamed Skydance across the board, but that is not what the companies have announced.
Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. will continue operating as recognizable studio brands inside the larger Skydance organization.
That distinction is important because the combined company controls an enormous collection of entertainment businesses and intellectual property.
Its assets will include film and television operations connected to Paramount, Warner Bros., DC Studios, HBO, CBS, CNN, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network and Discovery, alongside streaming services including Paramount+ and HBO Max.
Franchises under the broader company will include properties such as Harry Potter, the DC Universe, Game of Thrones, Mission: Impossible, Star Trek and Yellowstone, among many others.
The $110 Billion Deal Is Expected to Close October 6
Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced on September 30 that they expect the merger to close on October 6, 2026.
The acquisition agreement values Warner Bros. Discovery at roughly $110 billion, making it one of the largest entertainment transactions in history.
Paramount previously said the transaction had obtained required regulatory clearances across 68 jurisdictions, including the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, China, Australia and Mexico.
A remaining U.S. legal obstacle was resolved after a federal judge approved a settlement involving 12 state attorneys general who had challenged the transaction over antitrust concerns.
Skydance Will Control Two of Hollywood’s Most Historic Studios
The scale of the new company is unusual even by Hollywood consolidation standards.
Paramount traces its history back more than a century, while Warner Bros. was founded in 1923. The merger will place both studios within a single corporate organization controlled by Ellison.
Rather than choosing one legacy studio name over the other, Ellison said Skydance was selected as a neutral corporate identity that could sit above both.
The decision also means the name of Ellison’s original production company will effectively become the identity of one of the world’s largest entertainment groups.
Skydance Will Also Get a New Stock Identity
Reuters reports that the company’s legal name will change to Skydance Corporation after the transaction closes.
Its Class B shares are also expected to move to the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SKYD.
The change reflects the broader corporate restructuring rather than a simple marketing refresh.
Warner Bros. Discovery will become a wholly owned subsidiary as part of the merger structure, according to securities filings related to the transaction.
David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz Will Lead the New Company
The combined entertainment company will be led by David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz.
Ellison will focus heavily on creative and strategic direction, while Kreiz — who previously served as CEO of Mattel — has been appointed co-CEO to help oversee operations and integration.
The company is targeting approximately $6 billion in cost savings following the merger, according to Reuters. The combined group will also inherit roughly $80 billion in debt.
Those numbers illustrate the scale of both the opportunity and the financial challenge facing the new Skydance organization.
DC Studios Leadership Is Expected to Remain in Place
For DC fans, one of the immediate questions surrounding the Warner Bros. acquisition has been what will happen to DC Studios.
Deadline reports that James Gunn and Peter Safran are expected to remain in charge of DC Studios after the merger.
That means the corporate restructuring does not currently signal a replacement of the leadership overseeing the current DC Universe.
Warner Bros.’ broader film leadership is already undergoing changes, however, with executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy departing ahead of the merger’s completion.
The Skydance Name Takes Effect After the Merger Closes
For the moment, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery remain separate corporate entities while the transaction moves toward its anticipated October 6 closing.
Once completed, the parent company will adopt the Skydance identity while the Paramount and Warner Bros. brands continue operating underneath it.
That creates an unusual structure in which two of Hollywood’s oldest and most recognizable studio names will remain visible to audiences, while a much younger brand — founded by Ellison less than two decades ago — becomes the name of the company controlling them.
FAQ
Are Warner Bros. and Paramount changing their names to Skydance?
The combined parent company will be called Skydance, but Paramount and Warner Bros. will continue to exist as individual studio and entertainment brands.
When will Paramount and Warner Bros. officially merge?
The companies currently expect the transaction to close on October 6, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.
How much is the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger worth?
The acquisition is valued at approximately $110 billion.
Will Warner Bros. movies still use the Warner Bros. name?
Yes. The Warner Bros. brand is expected to remain in use. Skydance will serve as the corporate identity above Warner Bros., Paramount and the company’s other brands.
What companies will Skydance control?
The combined group will include businesses and brands such as Paramount, Warner Bros., HBO, DC Studios, CBS, CNN, Nickelodeon, MTV, Paramount+ and HBO Max.
Who will run Skydance?
David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz will lead the combined company as co-CEOs.
Will James Gunn continue running DC Studios?
Current reporting says James Gunn and Peter Safran will remain in charge of DC Studios following the merger.
