Paramount Skydance Plans Warner Bros Discovery Merger Retaining Creative Teams

Paramount Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison, is pursuing a potential merger with Warner Bros. Discovery that aims to preserve most of Warner Bros.' core operations, including keeping creative teams intact while streamlining marketing and distribution functions. The merger plan involves consolidating HBO Max into Paramount+ to create a unified streaming platform, enhancing user experience and viewership. There are currently no plans to sell or spin off cable networks, though collaboration between CBS News and CNN is being considered to share resources. Ellison is focusing on leveraging emerging technologies and artificial intelligence to increase production capacity, targeting up to 30 films annually across the combined studios. Despite Warner Bros. Discovery's board rejecting a nearly $60 billion acquisition offer from Paramount, discussions continue amid interest from other tech and media companies. The proposed merger could reshape the streaming landscape by combining major franchises and streamlining operations to compete more effectively with industry leaders like Netflix and Disney+.