Paramount Announces Major Layoffs Following Skydance Merger
Paramount initiated a significant round of layoffs today, October 29, 2025, impacting approximately 1,000 employees across its television divisions following the recent merger with Skydance.
The cuts heavily affected Paramount’s linear broadcast and cable networks, including marketing, communications, business affairs, and programming departments. Among those departing are Teri Fleming, executive vice president and head of marketing for Paramount Global Content Distribution, and several CBS Entertainment executives, including senior vice presidents Pamela Soper and Amanda Palley. Further impacts were felt in communications, with departures from CBS’ New York team and CBS Media Ventures, including Leslie Ryan, senior vice president of communications.
Streaming services were also impacted, with Paramount+ executive vice president of programming Jeff Grossman and Patricia Kollappallil, senior vice president of corporate communications at the streamer, being laid off. Cable networks like MTV and CMT experienced cuts within their communications and talent teams, including Wendy Plaut, senior vice president and head of music & celebrity talent at MTV, and Margaret Comeaux at CMT. These layoffs signal a shift away from the networks’ historical focus on original music series production, a strategy that once defined their brand. Earlier this month, CBS News announced approximately 100 layoffs and the closure of its Johannesburg bureau, demonstrating the widespread nature of these restructuring efforts. The entertainment industry is closely watching these developments as consolidation continues to reshape the media landscape; you can find more information about media mergers here.
According to one Paramount Skydance executive, the situation is “a bloodbath,” and questions remain about how remaining staff will be reallocated. Paramount Skydance chairman and CEO David Ellison stated in a memo to staff that the cuts were “necessary to position Paramount for long-term success,” addressing redundancies and phasing out roles no longer aligned with the company’s evolving priorities. A second round of approximately 1,000 layoffs, expected in the coming weeks, will likely focus on international operations.
