{
  "id": 12392850,
  "title": "'We did it!': Read David Ellison's memo to employees after Paramount's WBD deal closed",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/we-did-it-read-david-ellisons-memo-to-employees-after-paramounts-wbd",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-06T13:56:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/david-ellison-read-memo-employees-skydance-paramount-wbd-deal-closes-2026-10"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Skydance CEO David Ellison sent an enthusiastic memo to employees following the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, forming the new media conglomerate, Skydance. In the memo, Ellison shared his company's top priorities moving forward.\n\n\"We did it!\" Ellison exclaimed, acknowledging the hard work and perseverance that went into securing the deal. He expressed gratitude to the Paramount and WBD employees for their patience, resilience, and belief in the company's vision.\n\nEllison outlined Skydance's four primary goals:\n1. Win in storytelling\n2. Become the most technologically capable media company\n3. Lead in a crowded market\n4. Earn Trust Every Day\n\nTo achieve these objectives, Ellison detailed specific priorities:\n- Skydance will produce at least 30 films per year, combining original stories with beloved franchises like Harry Potter, Mission: Impossible, The Lord of the Rings, DC, Transformers, and Star Trek.\n- On television and streaming, Skydance aims to create award-winning content such as Game of Thrones, Landman, NCIS, Tracker, and SpongeBob SquarePants.\n- The company will leverage games like Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat, as well as live sports programming from the NFL, UFC, UEFA, and March Madness.\n- Skydance will utilize advanced technology and data to enhance content creation, distribution, and monetization, embracing AI tools to expand creative possibilities while preserving artistic integrity.\n\nEllison emphasized that Skydance's mission is to produce extraordinary storytelling for audiences worldwide, across every platform. The company is committed to building a thriving ecosystem that inspires, entertains, and informs people of all ages, ensuring the long-term growth and relevance of the media industry.",
  "summary": "Skydance CEO David Ellison addressed employees after finalizing Paramount's WBD deal. Read the full memo.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Shinsegae to invest $1 bil. in Paramount's Warner Bros. deal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/shinsegae-to-invest-1-bil-in-paramounts-warner-bros-deal",
        "published": "2026-10-06T12:17:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Quartz",
        "title": "Paramount completes $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery to form Skydance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/paramount-completes-110-billion-acquisition-of-warner-bros-discovery",
        "published": "2026-10-06T13:40:39.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}