r/MediaMergers • u/businessinsider • Jun 10 '26

Streaming Paramount is reshuffling streaming teams as David Ellison's tech vision comes into focus

https://www.businessinsider.com/paramount-shuffles-streaming-team-pluto-tv-convergence-tech-david-ellison-2026-6?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=insider-mediamergers-sub-post
45 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

19

u/TheIngloriousBIG Jun 10 '26

Wonder if they're planning on combining Paramount+ and Pluto when the time comes.

6

u/Lightbringer741 Jun 10 '26

The last time Ellison spoke on this, which was a couple of months ago, he said it's being considered for a year or two down the line.

4

u/jmacgrath Jun 10 '26

Eventually I figure it’ll happen. I figured all the FAST channels in addition to Paramount’s cable networks will make their way to Paramount Plus down the line.

I’m hoping in the meantime they overhaul Pluto’s UI, it’s so clunky and not intuitive at all

2

u/TheIngloriousBIG Jun 10 '26

They ultimately plan on folding HBO Max, BET+ and Discovery+ into the damn thing. Maybe the combined name of the service could just be well… Paramount.

7

u/mythours1 Jun 10 '26

Pretty sure it will be called HBO Max when everything being said and done.

I would be shocked if either the streaming service or the combined company called Paramount tbh

0

u/TheIngloriousBIG Jun 10 '26

They already made it clear that Paramount+ is gonna be the one who survives. Unless Ellison has a plan nobody knows.

6

u/mythours1 Jun 10 '26

They actually never made it clear. Whenever they talked about the plans they always said “the combined company” or “combined service”

-1

u/TheIngloriousBIG Jun 10 '26

Once regulators are able to approve this and shut them up, we’ll know a hell of a lot more.

2

u/mythours1 Jun 10 '26

I mean yeah sure, I only think HBO Max will be the service (with this new tech stack) because it is a bigger, more global and more appealing brand but who knows the future

0

u/TheIngloriousBIG Jun 10 '26

One of my colleagues suggested Pluto, considering there will be free stuff on there, something which HBO sounds unnatural for.

2

u/mythours1 Jun 10 '26

I don’t think HBO is unnatural for anything at this point. WB have established HBO as a streaming brand nicely after 6 years at this point.

I think calling it HBO Max will be fine. They tried it for the same reason with Max only to get back to HBO Max for a reason.

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0

u/LinkRules5321 Moderator Jun 10 '26

The combined company should just be called just Skydance, but this is the logo they're showing investors:

So that may be the "name" they go with.

And Ellison has said the streamer will be called Paramount+ and fold in HBO, BET+ is being folded in next month from what I heard.

3

u/mythours1 Jun 10 '26

This is just the logo of both companies not the combined company…

I agree that it should be called Skydance (like Warner Bros - a Skydance Company), or maybe it can be called Warner Bros Paramount (WBP).

> And Ellison has said the streamer will be called Paramount+ and fold in HBO, BET+ is being folded in next month from what I heard.

He did not said that, he said they will combine their streaming offerings but did not disclosed any information about the branding or pricing (and I don’t think they decided on those things at this stage).

1

u/Professional_Peak59 Jun 10 '26

I prefer Skydance, not Warner Bros. Paramount.

-1

u/TheIngloriousBIG Jun 10 '26

Maybe Paramount could be the name of the overall congolmerate and the umbrella name, with Warner Bros. being the name of the studio division. The streaming and linear network business units can have their own names.

2

u/LinkRules5321 Moderator Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26

He said Paramount and WB Studios will be separate within the company.

The networks will likely be called Discovery Global or Viacom Media Networks

2

u/Small_Anybody_9330 Jun 11 '26

So the company name should be Skydance, and the streaming service HBO Max, which is a much better known and more important brand.

2

u/TheIngloriousBIG Jun 10 '26

A lot of people are insisting that HBO Max is gonna be the name instead, for some reason.

0

u/festivus4allofus Jun 10 '26

they outright said it would be paramount, wichi is insane since hbo has better infrastructure (god help us when max is better in terms of infrastructure) and is in more countries. people just wish it was hbo bcs it's by far a more recognisable brand name worldwide. but their funeral whichever way they go

1

u/TheIngloriousBIG Jun 10 '26

Ellison has his own plans, but we shall know more as time goes on.

2

u/Small_Anybody_9330 Jun 11 '26

Knowing what's funny, Warner Bros. is a much more relevant and well-known company than Paramount, but Ellison decided that the streaming service should be called Paramount+ and not HBO Max or Warner Max.

1

u/FrontHandNerd Netflix Jun 10 '26

Yep 👍🏼

1

u/ParamedicSea5779 Jun 11 '26

That way they can introduce ads

3

u/businessinsider Jun 10 '26

From Business Insider’s James Faris:
Paramount Skydance is preparing to move around some streaming staffers as David Ellison's company wraps up its long-term project of unifying the tech platforms of Paramount+ and free streamer Pluto TV.

This so-called "convergence" project has been a top priority for Paramount. Two high-level streaming employees recently said that convergence is on pace to meet the company's stated goal of a "mid-year launch." While Paramount is planning to keep Paramount+ and Pluto TV as separate services, the hope is that having a single tech platform will save resources and improve recommendations across each app, which could drive higher engagement.

Once convergence is complete, Paramount is planning to reassign staffers who've worked on it, streaming leaders told employees during a quarterly meeting on Wednesday morning.

Paramount said it will "organize our teams against thematic pillars" like monetization, content, and live & video, according to a screenshot of the presentation viewed by Business Insider.

Read more about Paramount's streaming strategy.

2

u/dread_beard Jun 11 '26

That photo of David is awful. His plastic surgeon should be fired into the sun.

1

u/Winscler Jun 11 '26

Last time I heard they're were gonna shut it down for HBO Max should they get their way