Paramount Skydance Initiates Major Layoffs Across Television Divisions

Paramount has commenced a significant round of layoffs across its television divisions following its merger with Skydance. The reductions impact multiple departments, including marketing, communications, business affairs, and programming.

Notable departures include Teri Fleming, Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing for Paramount Global Content Distribution, and senior vice presidents Pamela Soper and Amanda Palley from CBS Entertainment's current programming department. In the communications sector, CBS's New York team saw significant cuts, with the exit of a Vice President of Entertainment Communications. Additionally, Leslie Ryan, Senior Vice President of Communications at CBS Media Ventures, and Jennifer Weingroff, Senior Vice President of Communications at Paramount Global Content Distribution, have been let go.

In the streaming segment, Paramount+ Executive Vice President of Programming Jeff Grossman and Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications Patricia Kollappallil were laid off. Cable networks such as MTV and CMT also experienced reductions. Wendy Plaut, Senior Vice President and Head of Music & Celebrity Talent at MTV, and Amanda Culkowski, Vice President of Music Program Development and Documentaries for MTV/Paramount+, are among those affected. Margaret Comeaux, Senior Vice President of Music Events and Production at CMT, was also impacted.

These layoffs are part of a broader strategy to achieve over $2 billion in cost savings following the merger. Approximately 1,000 employees were affected in this initial round, with another 1,000 layoffs anticipated in the coming weeks, focusing more on international operations. A Paramount Skydance executive described the situation as a "bloodbath," expressing uncertainty about the remaining workforce's capacity to handle the workload.

Paramount Skydance Chairman and CEO David Ellison addressed the layoffs in a memo to staff, stating:

"In some areas, we are addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organization. In others, we are phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities and the new structure designed to strengthen our focus on growth. Ultimately, these steps are necessary to position Paramount for long-term success."

The company plans to outline new organizational structures in the coming weeks to realign its linear and streaming TV operations.