Paramount Skydance has named the executives expected to run its combined company with Warner Bros. Discovery, assigning separate leaders to film, television, streaming and news ahead of the transaction’s anticipated close. The structure offers an early view of how the enlarged entertainment group plans to manage a portfolio spanning theatrical studios, broadcast networks, cable channels and global streaming services.

A leadership map before the close

Paramount said Chairman and Chief Executive David Ellison and Co-Chief Executive Ynon Kreiz will lead the company, which is to be renamed Skydance after the transaction. In the company’s October 5 announcement, Ellison was assigned long-term strategy, creative direction and technology, while Kreiz will oversee day-to-day operations and integration.

The companies have said the merger is expected to close October 6, subject to customary conditions. Until a closing announcement is made, the appointments describe the intended operating structure rather than proof that the transaction has legally completed.

Andy Gordon is slated to become president, with Dennis Cinelli continuing as chief financial officer and Makan Delrahim serving as chief legal officer and president of global corporate affairs. Rebecca Mall is to lead marketing and Dane Glasgow product. Axios reported that the corporate team draws heavily from Paramount, while leadership of the operating businesses includes executives from both companies.

Film and television are divided among familiar operators

Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein will co-chair the motion-picture group, overseeing film labels that include Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures. Peter Safran and James Gunn are expected to continue leading DC Studios. George Cheeks will co-chair the television group with Channing Dungey, combining broadcast and studio operations that have historically been housed in separate companies.

The arrangements preserve recognizable creative units while placing capital allocation under one parent. That balance will matter because a large library and multiple production labels can expand output but also create internal competition for release dates, marketing budgets and franchise investment. The company has not announced a complete project-by-project integration plan, and Monday’s leadership release did not specify layoffs or a schedule for consolidating overlapping corporate functions.

One streaming chief, multiple services

HBO and Max executive Casey Bloys is slated to become chief content officer for the combined streaming business. That gives one executive programming authority across services and brands that include HBO Max and Paramount+. The company has not said whether those consumer products will merge, remain separate or be bundled, so subscribers should not assume an immediate change to apps, prices or existing plans.

The appointment places creative programming under Bloys while product and technology functions report elsewhere. That separation suggests the new company will treat content selection, platform engineering and distribution strategy as distinct disciplines during integration. It also creates a clear accountability question for investors and viewers: whether the enlarged library can improve retention and economics without reducing the variety that the separate services previously offered.

CNN and CBS News retain separate leadership

Mark Thompson will remain chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide, while Bari Weiss will continue as editor-in-chief of CBS News. Both will report to Ellison and Kreiz. Reuters reported that the separate reporting lines ease concerns that either news executive would control both organizations.

The distinction is significant because the combination places two major national news operations under the same corporate parent. As part of a settlement that cleared an antitrust challenge brought by 12 states, the company agreed to establish an editorial-independence board for CNN and CBS News. The Associated Press reported that a federal judge approved the consent decree, which also includes commitments related to film production and worker support.

Under the court-approved settlement described by AP, Paramount committed to increase U.S. film production spending by $1.5 billion over five years, release at least 30 films annually and provide $47.5 million in worker support. Those obligations create public benchmarks beyond the company’s financial targets. They also reflect the states’ concern that combining two legacy studios could reduce output or bargaining opportunities for creative workers. Compliance with the decree will therefore be one of the earliest external tests of the integration, separate from whether the merger produces the cost savings management expects.

The integration test begins after closing

The leadership plan resolves who will make many of the early decisions, but not how the combined businesses will be simplified. The group will have overlapping film distribution, television production, ad sales, consumer products and streaming operations. Decisions about which systems, teams and brands to retain will determine whether promised scale becomes lower costs and stronger programming or simply a larger, more complex organization.

Reuters described the transaction as the end of a prolonged bidding contest that transfers control of major entertainment assets to Ellison. The announced team signals continuity for HBO, DC, CNN and CBS News alongside centralized corporate management. The measurable results will come later—in production levels, release strategy, subscriber trends, newsroom independence and the treatment of employees as integration proceeds.