George Cheeks Poised for Expanded TV Role at Skydance

George Cheeks, Paramount's TV media chair, is in line for expanded oversight of television at the newly merged Paramount-Warner Bros. entity, which the company revealed Friday will be named "Skydance." Deadline first reported Cheeks' potential new role.

Skydance would not comment. Cheeks has been viewed as a strong lieutenant running the TV properties under Paramount since Skydance took control of the company last August. Before that, Cheeks was one of three co-CEOs of Paramount Global — and the only member of that triumvirate to make the transition to the new company.

Speculation about the television structure has intensified in recent days, now that the streaming question at the merged company has been settled: HBO boss Casey Bloys came out on top, while Paramount direct-to-consumer head Cindy Holland is exiting.

Much of the debate in the traditional Hollywood world of networks and studios — still a hefty revenue driver — has centered on what roles Skydance head David Ellison might have in mind for Warner Bros. TV Group and WBD U.S. Networks chairman/CEO Channing Dungey and for Cheeks. Both executives are well-liked and respected, and both run domains spanning studios and networks.

One scenario making the rounds has Cheeks overseeing all of the combined company's vast TV holdings. There is no firm confirmation, and a final structure is not expected until next week.

Attention will also focus on Ellison's choice for Dungey, whose tenure at Warner Bros. TV Group continues to be highly successful. Under Dungey, the studio produces more than 80 original series for more than 20 platforms, including HBO and HBO Max, with titles such as "Ted Lasso," "Abbott Elementary," "The Bachelor" franchise, "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," "The Jennifer Hudson Show," "The Pitt," "Running Point," "Shrinking," "Rooster," "The Voice" and the upcoming "Harry Potter" series. So far this year, the division has landed 13 new series orders and 13 renewals, while "The Pitt" just won six Emmys, including its second for outstanding drama.

Dungey also took on oversight of WBD's U.S. Networks in 2025, a portfolio that includes Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, Cartoon Network, Cooking Channel, HLN, OWN, Science Channel, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Tru TV and Turner Classic Movies.

When Variety spoke to Dungey last month, she said she had met with Ellison in more of a "getting to know you" setting. She expressed her desire to stay with the company post-merger: "I love my team at Warner Bros. Television Group. I love our shows, our talent. And I've become very happy in my U.S. networks role, which was something that I didn't see coming almost two years ago. The best-case scenario for me is something that allows me to continue to play around in both of these spaces."

Among the setups observers have floated is splitting oversight between networks and studios. But if Cheeks does take control of the entire TV business, the biggest question becomes whether Dungey will opt to remain and report to him. Insiders say the two have a good rapport, particularly as Warner Bros. TV has been a hefty supplier of series to CBS over the years — including the successful crop of Chuck Lorre comedies that have aired on the network.

The question also remains of how Warner Bros. TV (run by president Brett Paul and creative affairs president Clancy Collins White), CBS Studios (run by president David Stapf) and Paramount TV Studios (run by Matt Thunell) will be integrated. CBS Studios produces more than 60 series, while Paramount TV Studios carries a hefty slate including the Taylor Sheridan shows. Currently, Stapf and Thunell report to Cheeks, while Paul and Collins White report to Dungey. One possibility: all three studios continue as separate labels.

Cheeks was previously president and CEO of CBS, having joined Paramount in March 2020. It was his second stint at the company; he first joined MTV Networks, then part of Viacom, in 1998, later serving as exec VP of business affairs and general counsel for the Viacom Music and Entertainment Groups. He moved to NBC in 2012 as president of business operations and late-night programming, then became co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and later vice chairman of NBCUniversal Content Studios.

If Cheeks lands the expanded role, expect next week's announcement to trigger the next round of questions: Dungey's future, and the fate of three studios that currently supply some of television's biggest hits.