Zaslav Posts Farewell Video as Paramount Merger Closes
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav shared a farewell video with employees ahead of the October 6 merger with Paramount that will create Skydance Corp.
David Zaslav shared a farewell video with Warner Bros. Discovery employees on Monday, one day before the company's merger with Paramount is scheduled to close on October 6, according to Variety.
The combined company will be named Skydance Corp. and led by David Ellison.
Zaslav recorded the video at the Loft warehouse at Warner Bros. Studios' Ranch facility in Burbank, California. It includes a montage with clips from The Pitt, The LEGO Movie, Barbie, Dune, Friends and Harry Potter.
The merger follows a period of restructuring at Warner Bros. Discovery. Four and a half years ago, Zaslav closed the deal that formed the company. In 2025, his pay package totaled $165 million, including a one-time stock option grant valued at $109.6 million awarded on June 12, 2025.
The company's planned split into two publicly traded companies did not proceed because of the deal to sell the company to Paramount Skydance. For full-year 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery reported a pro-forma EBITDA loss of about $2.1 billion, and in 2025 it generated EBITDA profit of $1.4 billion.
Quick answers
When will the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger close?
The merger is scheduled to close on October 6. The combined company will be named Skydance Corp. and run by David Ellison.
What did David Zaslav say in his farewell video?
Zaslav shared a farewell video with employees that includes a montage with clips from The Pitt, The LEGO Movie, Barbie, Dune, Friends and Harry Potter. The video was recorded at the Loft warehouse at Warner Bros. Studios' Ranch facility in Burbank, California.
Who will lead the combined company?
David Ellison will run the combined company, which will be named Skydance Corp.