US media company Skydance has announced the team of executives that will lead media giant Paramount Global following the pair’s soon-to-be completed merger.
The merger, which will close on August 7, will bring together Skydance and Paramount into one single $28 billion major streaming, TV, and film enterprise (maintaining the Paramount name), with executives from Skydance, as well as external hires, making up the new entity’s leadership team.
Chief among these is David Ellison, the current chief executive and founder of Skydance, who will assume the roles of both chair and chief executive of Paramount upon completion of the merger.
Joining him will be Jeff Shell, an executive at private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners (and former chief at fellow media heavyweight NBCUniversal), who will step in as Paramount president.
Indeed, only one current Paramount executive, current co-chief executive George Cheeks, will remain on the post-merger executive team, serving as chair of the TV media business unit, which will include the CBS Sports linear broadcast networks.
Elsewhere, Paramount’s burgeoning DTC division, which grew strongly in the second quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, will be led by 18-year Netflix veteran Cindy Holland.
On the slate of new additions and returning executives, David Ellison commented: “Backed by deep industry experience, proven track records, and a shared commitment to excellence, this world-class team is uniquely equipped to rise to the occasion and deliver on our bold vision for a new Paramount.
Direct-to-consumer and TV media are two of the three business segments that Paramount will now be structured into and focused around, with the third being film studios.
“Each member was chosen to align with our goals and with the intention to drive transformation. Together, we will foster an environment where creative and technical talent collaborate seamlessly, marrying leading technologies with powerful storytelling and artistic vision to unlock Paramount's full potential and help shape the future of our industry.”
From a sports perspective, CBS holds rights to several major properties, including European club soccer’s UEFA Champions League, American football’s NFL, PGA Tour golf, and top-tier college sports. In 2024, it aired the most-watched NFL Super Bowl in history.
