How David Ellison Plans to Mash Two Major Studios Into One

The Town with Matthew Belloni

The Ringer

Society & Culture

4.3 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2026

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Matt is joined by Rich Greenfield from LightShed Partners to discuss how David Ellison plans to merge Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, how much the cost cutting and consolidation will affect the industry, what will happen to HBO Max, and what success even looks like for this new company in the long term (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the new name of the soon-to-be-combined HBO Max and Paramount+ services (33:47). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Rich Greenfield Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+. ZOOTOPIA 2. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Imagine a breakfast wrap.
0:03.1	You know the one, because there really is only one.
0:07.6	Sausage, egg, cheese, bacon and a potato rusty all wrapped together.
0:13.2	Yep, there it is.
0:15.4	I think my work here is done.
0:18.5	Served until 11 a.m.
0:29.9	This episode of The Town is brought to you by The Madison, the new original series on Paramount Plus.
0:35.5	Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan's most intimate story yet, unlike anything he's ever done before.
0:40.8	The Madison follows a family raised in a world of digital distraction, forced by tragedy,
0:43.2	to truly see one another and come together.
0:48.2	Authentic, multi-layered, and did I mention starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell?
0:49.8	Don't miss The Madison.
0:54.0	New series streaming March 14th, only on Paramount Plus.
0:57.3	It is Monday, March 2nd.
0:59.8	It's the biggest question in Hollywood right now,
1:04.4	other than maybe how the club Chalemay woman is coping with Timothy's loss to Michael B. Jordan at the Actors Awards on Sunday night.
1:07.9	No, it's what does David Ellison plan to do with the combined Paramount and
1:12.8	Warner Brothers Discovery? If this $11 billion deal goes through, which is still a big question,
1:18.9	of course, but if it closes, there are many, many questions about the future of two Legacy
1:24.3	Hollywood Studios and how exactly he plans to get $6 billion of cost savings
1:29.4	out of the combined entity. We've got a few answers on Monday morning when Ellison and his
1:34.4	Paramount Skydance leadership team held an investor call. First, he said, quote, this is not about
	...

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