Skydance CEO David Ellison takes the reins of a ‘new Paramount' after merger saga

Core Insights - Skydance Media has successfully merged with Paramount Global, creating a new publicly traded entity named Skydance Paramount Corp, valued at $8 billion, despite previous political and shareholder concerns [1][5][10] - The merger aims to revitalize Paramount's legacy brands and streaming services by leveraging Skydance's production and technological expertise [1][4] Company Structure and Leadership - David Ellison, the CEO of Skydance, will lead the new company and has outlined a vision to transform Paramount into a technology-driven organization [2][4] - The company will be restructured into three divisions: studios, direct-to-consumer, and TV media [4] - Jeff Shell, former NBCUniversal CEO, will serve as president, while George Cheeks will oversee the TV Media division [12][15] Financial Aspects - Skydance's acquisition includes a $2.4 billion payment for the Redstone family's controlling 77% stake in Paramount Global, alongside $4.5 billion to non-National Amusements shareholders and an additional $1.5 billion for debt reduction [10][11] - Shari Redstone will receive $180 million in severance and benefits, in addition to her stock holdings [10][17] Strategic Focus - The new leadership emphasizes enhancing streaming services, with plans for Paramount+ and Pluto TV to operate on a unified technology platform by 2026 [16] - The company aims to reinvent its TV Media brand portfolio to adapt to a non-linear viewing environment, focusing on maximizing cash flow for reinvestment [18]