Paramount sale to Skydance closed

Editorial take on the sale of Paramount Global to Skydance and the end of the Redstone era.

Skydance Takes Paramount as Redstone Era Ends

Paramount Global has been sold to Skydance Media led by David Ellison for about 8 billion dollars, ending the Redstone era. The deal includes Paramount Pictures, CBS, Paramount+ and other legacy brands. Shari Redstone steered the reunification of Viacom and CBS in 2019 and now hands the keys to Ellison, who with his father Larry Ellison controls roughly 70 percent of the equity and all voting power. The Melrose lot changes hands, signaling a new ownership era for a company built on beloved brands.

To win regulatory clearance, Paramount Global agreed to settle a Trump related lawsuit with a 16 million dollar payment. Ellison made his first stop as owner at CBS News, underscoring the importance of optics for a company still seen through the lens of its news division. The closing marks the end of a long, turbulent chapter shaped by leadership churn, theater battles within the family, and a broader shakeout in the industry as streaming reshapes margins. The deal also foregrounds the question of how much room a modern owner has to steer a century old studio without losing its identity.

This is more than a transfer of assets. It is a shift in Hollywood power. The Redstone family built a studio system around control and clever maneuvering. The Ellison move signals a trend where production strength and streaming ambitions outrun old governance models. For CBS News, optics matter as much as revenue, and the new owners face the test of maintaining trust while pursuing growth. The price tag and settlement show how high the stakes are when regulators weigh consolidation against content ambitions. The real bet is whether Paramount can preserve its legacy while carving a sustainable path in a crowded, budget conscious media landscape.

Highlights

The next chapter will test the balance between legacy and adaptation in Hollywood’s changing age.