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David Ellison

Dealmaker

David Ellison is the Chairman and CEO of Skydance. He founded Skydance Media in 2010, building it into a major co-production partner of Paramount Pictures on franchises including Mission: Impossible, Top Gun: Maverick, and Terminator, and expanding into animation through the acquisition of Ilion Animation Studios and into games through Skydance Interactive. The approximately $8 billion merger of Skydance Media with Paramount Global closed on August 7, 2025, creating Paramount Skydance and placing him at the helm of CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central, Paramount+, and Pluto TV. On October 6, 2026, Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, and the combined company took the name Skydance. As steward of Pluto TV, one of the largest free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platforms, and Paramount+, Ellison shapes how a large pool of premium CTV inventory is packaged and sold to programmatic buyers and brand advertisers.

Last updated Oct 18, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team

In the news
Role
Chairman and CEO
Company
Skydance
Based
Los Angeles, California, United States
Boards
2
Connections
17

AI-drafted from public sources6 sources cited

Years in industry
15 years

Bio

David Ellison is the Chairman and CEO of Skydance. He founded Skydance Media in 2010, building it into a major co-production partner of Paramount Pictures on franchises including Mission: Impossible, Top Gun: Maverick, and Terminator, and expanding into animation through the acquisition of Ilion Animation Studios and into games through Skydance Interactive. The approximately $8 billion merger of Skydance Media with Paramount Global closed on August 7, 2025, creating Paramount Skydance and placing him at the helm of CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central, Paramount+, and Pluto TV. On October 6, 2026, Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, and the combined company took the name Skydance. As steward of Pluto TV, one of the largest free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platforms, and Paramount+, Ellison shapes how a large pool of premium CTV inventory is packaged and sold to programmatic buyers and brand advertisers.

Career

Roles with a cited source. All linked roles are in the Roles tab.

Expertise & education

Expertise

Connected TV (CTV) AdvertisingFree Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST)Streaming MonetizationProgrammatic AdvertisingOTT Inventory StrategyMedia Consolidation and M&AContent and Distribution StrategyAd-Supported Streaming Tiers

Education

  • Attended Stanford University (did not complete degree)
  • Attended University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts

Speaking topics

The future of ad-supported streaming and FAST platformsMedia consolidation and its impact on content and advertisingCompeting in the streaming era: content, technology, and monetizationCTV advertising and the evolution of premium video inventory

Recognition

Notable achievements

  • Orchestrated the approximately $8 billion merger of Skydance Media with Paramount Global, completed in 2024, becoming Chairman and CEO of the combined entity
  • Oversaw Pluto TV's growth into one of the world's largest FAST platforms with over 80 million monthly active users globally
  • Founded Skydance Media in 2010 and built it into a major Hollywood production company with blockbuster co-productions including Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible franchise entries
  • Expanded Paramount's ad-supported streaming footprint, positioning Pluto TV as a flagship asset in the CTV advertising ecosystem

Awards

Producer of the Year — various industry recognition tied to Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
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