George Cheeks Finalizes Skydance TV Leadership, Consolidating Studios and Sports Under New Structure

Key points

• Cheeks established Skydance TV Studios, unifying Warner Bros. Television, CBS Studios, and Paramount Television Studios under a single umbrella.
• Channing Dungey, David Stapf, and Matt Thunell were confirmed as leaders of the respective studio groups, with See It Now Studios operating as a label within CBS.
• Jesse Sisgold exited the company, with David Berson taking over the Global Sports Group, which includes rights for the NFL, UEFA, and NHL.
• Bryon Rubin was named COO with expanded duties overseeing CBS Television Stations, while Tom Cibrowski continues to lead CBS News operations.
• Cheeks emphasized a collaborative culture and the maximization of programming value in a memo to staff, signaling the next phase of integration.

Background

This announcement follows the official closure of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger in early October 2026, which created the Skydance media giant. Previous reports indicated that Cheeks and JB Perrette were co-chairing the TV division, with significant uncertainty among staff regarding structural changes and potential cuts. The current move formalizes the integration of these massive assets into a unified command structure.

Why it matters

The consolidation of major television studios and sports rights under a single leadership team signals the completion of the integration phase for one of the largest media mergers in recent history. This structural change aims to streamline operations and maximize the value of key franchises like NCIS and Reacher, while addressing the financial pressures and debt associated with the combined entity.

What to watch

Skydance TV will continue to share more information regarding the structure and future of the division. The company is expected to move forward with integration planning for cable networks and address remaining questions about the international operations and the future of specific brands.