George Cheeks sets Skydance TV leadership across studios, sports, entertainment, news

Skydance TV co-chair and chief content officer George Cheeks has named the leadership team that will work under him across the company’s studios business, entertainment, sports and news.

George Cheeks

In a letter to staff, Cheeks detailed the execs who will report to him at the TV arm of the newly formed company, born out of the US$110bn merger of Paramount Skydance (PSKY) and Warner Bros Discovery.

Channing Dungey will continue to lead the Warner Bros Television Group and its portfolio of scripted, unscripted and animation studios.

She will also oversee the combined Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery cable roster of more than 50 brands such as HGTV, Food Network, TNT, BET and MTV. For cable channels outside the US, Dungey will report to Cheeks for programming and to JB Perrette for operations.

Perrette oversees streaming and networks outside the US in his wide-ranging role as co-chair and chief business officer of both Skydance TV and Skydance direct-to-consumer.

David Stapf will continue to lead CBS Studios, which is home to NCIS and also produces shows such as Sheriff Country, Little House on the Prairie and Murderbot. See It Now Studios will operate as a label within CBS Studios.

Matt Thunell oversees Paramount Television Studios, home to series for streaming and broadcast, with franchises including Reacher, its spin-off Neagley and the Taylor Sheridan universe that spans Dutton Ranch, Landman and Lioness on Paramount+ and Marshals on CBS.

Amy Reisenbach leads CBS Entertainment, overseeing all primetime, daytime and late-night creative departments at the CBS television network.

Skydance Sports Entertainment will be part of the Skydance TV Studios Group, with details to follow, Cheeks said.

David Berson leads Skydance’s Global Sports Group, with oversight of its live sports portfolio across all platforms, led by CBS Sports, TNT Sports and WBD Sports, in partnership with Perrette and the international team outside the US.

Tom Cibrowski will continue to oversee operations across CBS News’ broadcast, streaming and digital businesses, including CBS Mornings and CBS Evening News.

The broader Skydance TV organisation will be supported by Bryon Rubin as chief operating officer, working with all divisional leaders on strategic and operational matters while maintaining his leadership of CBS domestic syndication. Rubin will expand his remit to include oversight of the CBS Television Stations group, working with division president Jennifer Mitchell.

Laurel Weir will oversee research and programming insights across Skydance TV broadcast, cable and studios. She will continue to lead her content strategy, scheduling and content acquisitions teams for the Paramount cable networks while the company works through “integration planning,” Cheeks said.

Cheeks, who was previously chairman of TV media at PSKY, took over oversight of Warner Bros Television and Paramount Television Studios, in addition to CBS Studios, following the mammoth merger.

The executive moves have come thick and fast in recent weeks, including Skydance boss David Ellison’s surprise decision to tap former Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO of the combined empire.

PSKY’s chair of direct-to-consumer Cindy Holland also stepped down last month, with HBO boss Casey Bloys assuming control of Skydance’s streaming business.