On Monday, Skydance, the incoming owners of the media behemoth comprising Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, announced members of its CEO Leadership Team (CLT), including CNN’s Mark Thompson and CBS News’ Bari Weiss.
The two network heads will join Skydance’s CEO News Executive Leadership Team, with Thompson continuing as chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide and Weiss remaining CBS News’ editor-in-chief, staying in the same position she assumed in October 2025.
The merger between Paramount Skydance and WBD is expected to close on Tuesday, October 6. Once completed, Thompson and Weiss will directly report to David Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer, and Ynon Kreiz, co-chief executive officer.
Speculation had been rife about Thompson’s future with CNN, but signals over the last few days suggested he would stick around as CEO, with reports that he recently met with Ellison and was asked to continue leading the news network.
CNN’s Brian Stelter reports that Thompson shared the news of his continued tenure and opinions of his new bosses with staffers in a memo saying, “I have real confidence that they both understand and will fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for.”
He reportedly sought assurances that CNN would maintain its independence once it fell under new ownership and seemed to get that commitment from execs, telling staffers in the memo he is continuing his role “as an independent editor-in-chief.”
It remains unclear how CNN and CBS News will function once they become corporate siblings, or how the editorial independence board, agreed to as part of Paramount’s settlement with the state attorneys general, will co-exist with the two units. Thompson alluded to that in the memo, saying those specifics have yet to be finalized, but the new leadership team believes in “news alongside entertainment as a top strategic opportunity for our new company.”
Also announced as part of the incoming Skydance CLT were content and creative executives including Casey Bloys, named co-chair and chief content officer, Skydance DTC; George Cheeks, named co-chair and chief content officer, Skydance TV; and JB Perrette, named co-chair & chief business officer, Skydance TV and co-chair & chief business officer, Skydance DTC.
On the movie side, Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein were named co-chairs of Skydance Motion Picture Group, while James Gunn and Peter Safran were named co-chairmen of DC Studios.
Ellison will focus on Skydance’s long-term strategy, creative vision and direction, including its talent relationships, strategic partnerships, technology and capital allocation. As for Kreiz, he will focus on the company’s day-to-day management and integration of the combined business.
In addition, the new company announced that Andy Gordon will become president of Skydance, advancing the company’s strategic priorities across its businesses. All three will also be on the board of directors, with Ellison serving as chairman.
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