The entertainment giant created by the merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery finally has a name.
And it won’t be Paramount Warner Bros.
What once was the peak, is now just the beginning.
Paramount and Warner Bros. shaped over a century of culture. By combining them, we aren’t rewriting history — we’re equipping these iconic studios with a more powerful engine. Together, we are Skydance: a creative-first home for… pic.twitter.com/uInLRY3IrE
— David Ellison (@davidellison) October 2, 2026
Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison revealed Friday that the combined company will simply be known as Skydance following the completion of Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
“We chose this name for a few important reasons,” he said in his first post on X. “First and foremost, as we bring Paramount and Warner Bros. together, we wanted to preserve what has made each of these studios iconic. 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 decision puts the name of Ellison’s company atop an entertainment empire containing two of Hollywood’s most historic studios alongside HBO, CBS, CNN, DC Studios, Nickelodeon, and numerous other major brands.
Skydance Becomes the Corporate Umbrella
The announcement doesn’t mean the Paramount and Warner Bros. names are disappearing from theaters.
Instead, Skydance will become the corporate parent overseeing the company’s sprawling collection of entertainment businesses.
Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures are expected to retain their individual identities, meaning audiences should continue seeing the iconic Paramount mountain and Warner Bros. shield associated with their respective productions.
But above them will now sit Skydance.
David Ellison talks to Bloomberg – YouTube, Bloomberg Podcasts
It represents an extraordinary rise for a company Ellison founded in 2006. Paramount Pictures traces its history back to 1912, while Warner Bros. was established in 1923. A company barely two decades old will soon serve as the corporate parent overseeing both century-old Hollywood institutions.
Skydance’s portfolio will also include HBO, HBO Max, CBS, CBS Sports, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, Showtime, Paramount+, Pluto TV, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TNT, TBS, DC Studios, and more.
Merger Expected to Close October 6
The naming announcement comes as the massive transaction approaches the finish line.
Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery announced that they expect the merger to officially close on October 6, 2026, assuming the remaining customary closing conditions are satisfied.
The transaction values Warner Bros. Discovery at approximately $81 billion in equity value and $110 billion in enterprise value.
Warner Bros Discovery Logo
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Once the transaction is completed, Ellison will serve as chairman and CEO of the newly expanded Skydance.
The company will immediately become one of the most powerful entertainment conglomerates in the world, controlling franchises including DC, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, and SpongeBob SquarePants.
A New Era for Two Historic Studios
The Skydance name also sends a clear message about the structure of the new company.
This isn’t Warner Bros. Discovery absorbing Paramount, nor is the company attempting to combine its most famous studio brands into an awkward new corporate identity. Skydance will sit above the existing brands while Paramount and Warner Bros. continue operating beneath that umbrella.
The more important question now becomes what Ellison intends to do with them.
Major changes at Warner Bros. are already expected once the transaction closes, and Paramount has projected more than $6 billion in potential synergies from combining the companies.
The logo for Paramount Skydance – Paramount
That could mean significant changes throughout the organization as management eliminates overlapping operations and begins integrating two enormous entertainment businesses.
For moviegoers and theme park fans, however, the biggest effects will ultimately be determined by what happens to the company’s intellectual property. Warner Bros. brings DC, Harry Potter, Looney Tunes, and other major properties to a company that already controls Paramount’s substantial catalog.
After months of regulatory battles, lawsuits, negotiations, and uncertainty surrounding the merger, the finish line is finally in sight.
Warner Bros. Discovery is about to disappear as an independent company.
And when the dust settles, the name sitting atop both Warner Bros. and Paramount will be Skydance.
How do you feel about Paramount and Warner Bros. falling under Skydance? Sound off and let us know!
