David Ellison Calls Skydance The Solution To Big Tech's Move Into Media
Deadline • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Skydance CEO David Ellison views the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger as a necessary response to traditional media companies failing to adapt quickly to the rise of big tech over the past decade.
- Ellison emphasized the importance of combining strong content portfolios with advanced technology to compete effectively against Silicon Valley platforms, highlighting Skydance’s extensive IP, sports, and news assets.
- Streaming is central to Skydance’s growth strategy, with significant domestic and international expansion potential, including rapid growth in their FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) business.
- The company is integrating ad sales and backend technology across platforms to accelerate streaming growth, aiming to outpace declines in traditional linear media.
- The merger officially closed on Tuesday, positioning Skydance as a leading player in direct-to-consumer streaming services with a robust content pipeline of 30 movies and over 180 series annually.
