FYI for CBS boycotters: Ellisons' broader portfolio and the broader Paramount Skydance enterprise

[pat_k]

From AI (Gemini)

Paramount Global and CBS are owned by Skydance Media, a production company controlled by CEO David Ellison and the Ellison family. Their media, tech, and entertainment empire includes a massive array of networks, studios, and platforms.The Ellisons' broader portfolio and the broader Paramount Skydance enterprise include:

📺 Entertainment & Studio

Paramount Pictures: The historic Hollywood movie studio behind franchises like Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, and Transformers.

Skydance Media: The original production studio founded by David Ellison, which produces major film and TV content.

Cable & Broadcast Networks:

MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central (including South Park), BET, the Paramount Network, TV Land, and VH1.

Showtime: The premium television network and its associated streaming and cable assets.

AwesomenessTV: Digital media and youth-focused studio operations.💻

Technology & Streaming:

Pluto TV: The popular free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service.

TikTok US Operations: Tech magnate Larry Ellison (David's father) and Oracle hold a major stake in the U.S. operations of the social media platform.

Oracle: The multinational computer technology corporation co-founded by Larry Ellison, which manages massive digital and cloud infrastructure.

📰 News & Publishing

CBS News: The primary news division, including the CBS News 24/7 streaming channel.

Simon & Schuster: The major multinational book publishing company.

[lostincalifornia]

1. And they won the bidding war for HBO MAX/CNN

[pat_k]

2. Oh god. I guess I've had my fingers crossed that State AG's could block

This level of concentration is appalling. In a sane world, it would be stopped in anti-trust reviews.

[lostincalifornia]

5. You are absolutely right, and maybe it might get stopped, but under

Trump and his DOJ, I sure won’t on it

[pat_k]

8. No hope with the felon's executive agencies. But the state AG's. Maybe.

The Prospect reported on what they are up to, led by CA AG Bonta back in Feb. Not sure about progress.
https://prospect.org/2026/02/27/states-can-block-paramount-warner-deal/

And there is the consumer lawsuit. Not only are they seeking to block the Warner Bros/CNN/HBO acquisition, they are seeking to unwind the acquisition of Paramount.

https://deadline.com/2026/04/paramount-sued-antitrust-block-warner-bros-deal-1236877774/

Some of the most powerful state attorneys general in the nation just got eclipsed by five regular citizens in a move to put the brakes on Paramount‘s merger with Warner Bros Discovery.

“The April 23, 2026, stockholder vote materially changed the posture of the proposed acquisition,” says a wide-ranging antitrust filed Thursday in California federal court by five pay-TV and streaming services subscribers. “Before that vote, the transaction remained contingent on Warner Bros. Discovery stockholder approval. After that vote, a major closing condition had been satisfied, and the threatened injury to Plaintiffs became substantially more imminent because the remaining barriers to consummation were principally regulatory and closing-condition barriers rather than stockholder approval.”...

[yellow dahlia]

3. Fortunately I don't consume any of their media.

No need to consume CBS any more. I removed 60 Minutes from my programming last year, and now, with the exit of Colbert, CBS goes dark for me.

I haven't completely eliminated an occasional glance at CNN, but once the take over is complete, I will.

I probably purchase the occasional book published by Simon & Schuster, but otherwise I don't rub elbows with their products.

Thanks for the list, pat.

[pat_k]

7. I have a paramount plus dilemma coming up

I got into their additions to the Star Trek franchise (Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Section 31). I had seen all the seasons that were available before they acquired CBS/Paramount last year, so had no qualms about cancelling my paramount plus. Unfortunately, there is a new season of Strange New Worlds coming up. All the episodes will be out by the end of Sept and I will probably sign on for a month to catch up. Or maybe I'll be able to resist.

[Intractable]

11. Only 16 precious episodes of Strange New Worlds remain to be aired.

It's my favorite show (except when they are singing and dancing).

There's nothing wrong with taking the subscription out for one month and then canceling. You get to cancel them again!

I noticed last year that some of the streaming services offered deals on black Friday. If I recall correctly, Paramount was one of them.

[pat_k]

16. I'll keep on eye out. As few dollars into their pockets as possible!

Thanks for the dispensation/forgiveness for signing on for a month once season four episodes are available! Perhaps I can even hold out until both the fourth and final fifth season are out.

I know my few dollars don't count for much in the grand scheme of things, but it's the principle of the thing.

[RockRaven]

4. Other than Simon and Schuster, I can confidently say wouldn't miss any of that if I were to boycott

but I don't need to boycott (and have such confidence in my abilities) because I already don't use/consume any of that these days.

[NJCher]

6. This is helpful

I’m a boycotter who didn’t know about Simon & Schuster.

Can’t think of the title, but there’s been a book about the formation of CBS. The author lives somewhere around here and the library had an interview and book signing. I went because I’d read the book.

The formation of this company is replete with bad human behavior. Suing, cheating each other over inheritance, that type of thing. I was disgusted and found it interesting how many others knew about it, too, based on the comments and questions at the end of the program.

[pat_k]

10. Interesting. I came across this about the first years

https://www.otrr.org/FILES/Articles/Elizabeth%20McLeod/The%20Network%20Paley%20Didn't%20Found.htm

[eShirl]

9. kick!

thanks for posting this

[City Lights]

12. KR&B. Thanks for putting this together!

They all need to be boycotted!

[pat_k]

14. As noted in the OP, I looked to Gemini to put it together.

Originally, just for myself, but I realized others, like me, might not realize all the media outlets the Ellisons had their clutches on.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

13. South Park is refusing to work w/them.

According to a article I just read.

[pat_k]

15. That is very, very, good to hear!