Skydance has reshuffled its television and streaming distribution team, which is responsible for content deals with pay TV operators, streaming and device platforms, and other partners. As part of the changes, eight executives who worked at Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery leaves.
The latest changes at Skydance – formed by the megamerger of David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance and WBD, which closed on October 6 – were announced in an internal memo from Ray Hopkins, president of distribution.
Hopkins’ two main lieutenants leading the distribution team are Sarah Bergman, an HBO veteran who most recently served as WBD’s executive vice president of networks and streaming distribution, and Mickey Carter, former vice president of distribution for Paramount. Bergman and Carter will share the title of executive vice president of distribution and share responsibility for negotiating distribution agreements and managing partnerships.
Skydance’s distribution team manages deals for CBS owned-and-operated stations, 55 basic cable networks, Paramount+, HBO Max, Discovery+, Pluto TV and more than 100 FAST channels.
Executives leaving Skydance are: Rivka Golomb (WBD Head of Distribution Strategy and Finance), Kelly Kane (WBD SVP of Partner Marketing), Jeff Cross (WBD SVP, Legal, Distribution and Business Partnerships), Rich Palermo (WBD SVP of Network and Streaming Distribution), David Comisar (CBS SVP, Affiliate Distribution), Kurt Davis (CBS SVP of Affiliate Relations), Deena Demasi (Paramount, VP of Marketing, Distribution and Business Development) and Ken Kay (Showtime, EVP of Distribution and Affiliate Marketing).
In addition to Bergman and Carter’s new roles, Hopkins announced several other members of the leadership team in the Nov. 3 memo:
- Brad Shipley, senior vice president of business development and strategy, will oversee strategy, new growth partnerships, Pluto TV and FAST distribution, advanced advertising partnerships and business planning and analysis. He will also serve as head of distribution for Skydance Global Sports Group.
- Patrick Cavanaugh, executive vice president and chief financial officer of distribution finance, will lead the economics of all linear and streaming negotiations.
- Rick Baker, executive vice president, deputy general counsel, distribution, business and legal affairs, will oversee the business and legal affairs of Skydance’s linear and streaming distribution. With Baker’s new role, Cross will leave the company but will remain a senior advisor to the distribution sector.
- Joe Bahr, senior vice president of partner operations, will manage operational issues between partners.
- Andrew Borak, senior vice president of marketing, will lead the combined distribution marketing function.
- Bob Aguanno, senior vice president of CBS affiliate relations, will manage Skydance’s relationships with approximately 200 CBS affiliate television stations, working with the CBS Network Affiliate Board of Directors.
- John Bagwell, executive vice president and associate general counsel, will negotiate contracts with station groups and the board of directors of CBS network affiliates.
Hopkins reports to JB Perrette, the former head of Warner Bros. Discovery who is now Co-President and Chief Commercial Officer of Skydance TV and Skydance Direct-to-Consumer. With Hopkins’ appointment, Scott Miller, who previously served as president of networks and streaming distribution at WBD, left the company.
Skydance executives have targeted $6 billion in annualized savings from the combination of Paramount and WBD — and massive layoffs at the company are expected before the end of this year. Some eligible employees at the new Skydance are being offered the opportunity to accept voluntary buyout offers, according to an Oct. 26 company-wide memo from Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz.
The changes to Skydance’s cast team were first reported by Reuters.
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