Paramount Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison has confirmed that the combined company created through the merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery will operate under the Skydance corporate name, ending months of industry speculation about the branding of the enlarged entertainment group. The approximately $110 billion transaction is scheduled to be finalized on Tuesday, and the unified company's shares will trade under the new ticker symbol “SKYD” once the deal closes, replacing the current PSKY designation.

Shares of Paramount Skydance (PSKY) advanced 1.71% on Friday following Ellison's confirmation of the corporate identity for his firm's combined entity with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Warner Bros. Discovery shares, meanwhile, posted a modest 0.03% decline during the session.

Through a social media announcement, Ellison revealed that the merged enterprise will carry the straightforward Skydance name once the transaction reaches completion. The decision brings an end to widespread conjecture across the industry about what the entertainment conglomerate would ultimately be called, and it represents the concluding piece of a transaction that has stretched across more than twelve months.

“Paramount and Warner Bros. shaped over a century of culture,” Ellison stated. “By combining them, we aren't rewriting history, we're equipping these iconic studios with a more powerful engine.”

Rapid Expansion for Ellison's Empire

The rebranding marks Ellison's second transformative acquisition in fewer than 24 months. Skydance, the production company known for “Top Gun: Maverick” and the Mission: Impossible series, finalized its acquisition of Paramount in August 2025. Shortly after that transaction's completion, Ellison turned his attention to Warner Bros. Discovery, and the pursuit evolved into a competitive bidding scenario involving several prominent industry participants. Netflix was reportedly among the entities that Paramount Skydance surpassed in the contest for Warner Bros.' properties.

By February, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery had reached an agreement carrying an enterprise valuation of approximately $110 billion. The combination recently cleared its final significant obstacle, when a federal court approved a settlement following a challenge mounted by a coalition of 12 state attorneys general who opposed the merger. With litigation now behind them, Paramount Skydance has set Tuesday as the anticipated closing date for the transaction.

Studio Identities to Persist

Ellison emphasized that the Skydance designation will function as an overarching corporate umbrella rather than a replacement identity. Both Paramount and Warner Bros. will maintain their operations as separate, recognizable brands under the new. In practical terms, that means the storied studio names will remain on future releases even as corporate ownership consolidates above them.

“We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one,” Ellison explained. He noted that the objective was to select a name that establishes the parent organization's distinct identity while preserving the prominence of Paramount and Warner Bros.

Following completion, the unified company will begin trading under the fresh “SKYD” ticker symbol, which will supersede the existing PSKY designation. For shareholders and market watchers, that means quotes, holdings and watchlists referencing PSKY will convert to SKYD once the new symbol goes live. The resulting entity's scope is substantial: industry data from Rentrak indicates that Paramount and Warner Bros. collectively plan to distribute 35 theatrical releases throughout the coming year.

The executive structure has also been determined. Ellison will share co-CEO responsibilities with Ynon Kreiz, the departing chief executive of Mattel, when the merger officially consummates next week.

The rebranding represents the culmination of Ellison's rapid trajectory, transforming from production company operator to steward of two legendary Hollywood studios in less than two years. Attention now turns to Tuesday's closing, when the Skydance name becomes official and trading commences under the new ticker symbol.

Source: Blockonomi