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Paramount’s new owners are kicking off the post-Redstone era by going bigger on the box office—and not letting go of cable just yet. David Ellison and Jeff Shell, now at the helm after the $8.4 billion Skydance merger, laid out their vision this week: more films, modern infrastructure, and a hold-the-line approach to traditional TV.
Shell said Paramount currently produces fewer than ten films annually. That number will go up to 15 immediately, with a target of 20 in the near future. On the slate: another Star Trek, another Transformers, and a Timothée Chalamet-led original called High Side. It’s a bet on theatrical at a time when most legacy studios are still nursing streaming hangovers.
What they’re not doing is offloading cable. While Disney and others quietly starve their linear businesses, Ellison and Shell are doubling down on Nickelodeon, BET, and MTV. Shell says these brands still “create cultural relevance” across formats—and that makes them useful in an attention economy. Especially when paired with free ad-supported platforms like Pluto TV and a revamped Paramount+ backend.
That’s the other piece of the puzzle. Ellison, who made his name in both tech and storytelling, is promising an overhaul of the company's tech stack. AI-powered production workflows, unified streaming infrastructure, and improved monetization are all part of the plan. Translation: fewer silos, more synergy, and maybe some savings.
Paramount Skydance will now operate under three verticals—studios, direct-to-consumer, and TV media—each meant to work in sync rather than in silos. The Federal Communications Commission greenlit the merger earlier this month, effectively ending Shari Redstone’s stewardship and handing the reins to a next-gen media duo betting on both code and culture.
This isn’t a pivot back to old Hollywood. It’s a play to rebuild audience connection while modernizing how content is made and distributed. Whether that means survival or reinvention depends on execution—but for now, Paramount’s message is clear: linear isn’t dead, movies still matter, and the new owners aren’t here to play defense.
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