Skydance Putting All 3 TV Studios Under George Cheeks

Key Points:

• As the Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger closes, George Cheeks, Chair of TV Media at Paramount, will expand his role to oversee the combined company’s three TV studios: CBS Studios, Warner Bros Television, and Paramount Television Studios, with current leaders Channing Dungey and Matt Thunell reporting to him.
• Cheeks will also have some oversight of cable brands on the Warner Bros Discovery side, managing linear networks such as CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and BET, while adhering to regulatory requirements to negotiate cable packages separately.
• The restructuring aims to balance the number of direct reports to CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz across film, TV, and streaming, with executives like Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg overseeing movie studios, and Casey Bloys managing HBO Max and Paramount+ streaming services.
• The merger sets the stage for potential future consolidation of the three TV studios, similar to Disney's phased integration of its TV assets post-Fox acquisition, while maintaining distinct roles for CBS Studios, Warner Bros Television, and Paramount Television Studios in content production and streaming markets.
• Warner Bros Television has shifted away from broadcast network development, focusing instead on streaming and cable, while CBS Studios remains closely aligned with CBS network programming; Cheeks is known for his creative influence and strategic oversight, including identifying franchise potential within CBS content.