TLDR
- Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison confirmed the combined company with Warner Bros. Discovery will be named Skydance.
- The merger, worth roughly $110 billion, is expected to close next Tuesday.
- The new company will trade under the ticker “SKYD.”
- Paramount and Warner Bros. will remain as separate studio brands under the Skydance parent.
- PSKY stock rose 1.71% while WBD dipped 0.03% following the news.
Paramount Skydance (PSKY) stock climbed 1.71% on Friday after CEO David Ellison confirmed the name for his company’s newly combined entity with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). WBD stock slipped slightly, down 0.03% on the day.
Paramount Skydance Corporation Class B Common Stock, PSKY
Ellison announced in a social media post that once the merger closes, the business will simply be called Skydance.
The name ends months of speculation about what the combined media giant would be called. It also marks the final step in a deal that has been over a year in the making.
“Paramount and Warner Bros. shaped over a century of culture,” Ellison wrote. “By combining them, we aren’t rewriting history, we’re equipping these iconic studios with a more powerful engine.”
A Full-Circle Moment
This is the second major acquisition for Ellison’s company in under two years. Skydance, the production studio behind “Top Gun: Maverick” and the Mission: Impossible franchise, closed its purchase of Paramount in August 2025.
Just weeks after that deal closed, Ellison set his sights on Warner Bros. Discovery. That pursuit eventually turned into a bidding war with other major players in the industry.
Netflix was reportedly among the companies Paramount Skydance outbid for the Warner Bros. assets. In February, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery struck an agreement valued at roughly $110 billion on an enterprise basis.
The deal cleared its last big hurdle this week. A federal judge approved a settlement after a group of 12 state attorneys general had challenged the merger.
With that legal fight resolved, Paramount Skydance confirmed the transaction is now expected to close on Tuesday.
What Happens to the Brands
Ellison was clear that the Skydance name is meant to sit above the studios, not replace them. Paramount and Warner Bros. will keep operating as their own distinct brands.
“We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one,” Ellison said. He added the goal was a name that gives the parent company its own identity while letting Paramount and Warner Bros. stay in the spotlight.
Once the deal closes, the combined company will trade under a new ticker: “SKYD.” That replaces the current PSKY listing.
The scale of the new company is big. Together, Paramount and Warner Bros. are set to release 35 films next year, according to data from Rentrak.
Leadership is also set. Ellison and outgoing Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz will serve as co-CEOs once the merger officially closes next week.
The rebrand caps off a rapid rise for Ellison, who has gone from running a production company to overseeing two of Hollywood’s oldest studios in under two years. For now, the focus shifts to next Tuesday’s closing date, when the Skydance name officially takes effect and the new ticker begins trading.
Stop guessing and start investing with confidence. KnockoutStocks gives you the AI insights, market intelligence, and stock research you need to spot opportunities, cut through the noise, and make smarter investment decisions — all in one powerful platform.
Sign up today and get 50% OFF full access to our premium stock picks.
Simply use coupon code SPECIAL50 at checkout to claim your exclusive discount.
Get 3 Free Stock Ebooks
Discover top-performing stocks in AI, Crypto, and Technology with expert analysis.
- Top 10 AI Stocks - Leading AI companies
- Top 10 Crypto Stocks - Blockchain leaders
- Top 10 Tech Stocks - Tech giants
