The Newshound

Skydance swallows Warner Bros in $110bn Hollywood mega-merger to create a new big four

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026 · last updated 7 October 2026.

Warner Bros. and Paramount, whose $111bn merger with David Ellison's Skydance has now closed, unite the two studios under a single corporate roof for the first time as Skydance Corporation.
Warner Bros. and Paramount, whose $111bn merger with David Ellison's Skydance has now closed, unite the two studios under a single corporate roof for the first time as Skydance Corporation.

Paramount's $110bn takeover of Warner Bros Discovery has officially closed, creating a new entertainment giant branded Skydance that ranks alongside Sony, Disney and Universal as Hollywood's remaining major-studio players. David Ellison, the billionaire founder of Skydance, called the deal "historic," and Trump described it as "great." The merger unites franchises from Harry Potter and Game of Thrones to Mission: Impossible and Shrek under one corporate roof, while in the UK Skydance will control Channel 5 and TNT Sports.

HBO Max and Paramount+ are set to combine into one streaming platform, with no timeline announced; critics caution that subscription prices may rise as a result.

CNN's future under Skydance is drawing close attention given Ellison's strong ties to Trump, though current chair Mark Thompson is set to remain in place.

Workers have already replaced the iconic Warner Bros. shield on the 133-foot Burbank water tower — built in 1927 — with Skydance branding.

MoreThe GuardianGoodbye Warner, hello Skydance: how will the major merger really impact Holllywood?BBC News - BusinessParamount takes over Warner Bros in $110bn Hollywood mergerThe IndependentWhat Paramount’s Warner Bros. takeover means for streaming, movies and newsAPSkydance now runs two of Hollywood's legacy film studios. A look at the new company, by the numbersAPParamount completes its takeover of Warner Bros to become one Hollywood giant known as SkydanceAPCNN now has a new owner. What will the future of the network be under Skydance?NY PostHistoric Burbank Warner Bros. tower gets new Skydance brandingReutersParamount wraps up mega Warner Bros merger to create Hollywood powerhouse SkydanceiNewsParamount and Warner Bros mega deal creates Skydance
Read today's full feed at The Newshound →