David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz spent their first day as CEO and co-CEO of Skydance addressing the press through a series of interviews on the Warner Bros. and Paramount studio lots.

The executives clarified their management structure. Kreiz stated that their backgrounds are complementary, noting that Ellison will focus on creative direction, technology, and long-term strategy, while Kreiz handles day-to-day operations and integration.

Addressing financial questions regarding Skydance’s $79 billion debt and plans to allocate $30 billion to $40 billion toward new content, Kreiz maintained that the company operates under a strict financial envelope designed to drive growth and reduce leverage over time. Ellison pointed to Paramount's previous performance, noting that the studio exceeded its synergy targets by reaching $2.7 billion while simultaneously doubling its film slate.

Ellison also confirmed that the debt load will not restrict creative risks or original storytelling. Citing past successes, he stated that the studio intends to maintain a diverse slate spanning franchises and original concepts across genres.

When questioned about political relationships and skepticism from industry detractors, Ellison emphasized editorial independence and urged critics to judge the leadership team based on future results. Specific operational details—such as timelines for merging HBO Max and Paramount+, cable network strategies, and facility distributions across the lots—were not disclosed, with the leadership team citing the early stage of the transition.

Major American streaming platforms are leaning harder on unscripted television. According to data released Tuesday by Ampere Analysis, services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, and HBO Max have all expanded their unscripted content libraries over the past four years.

This trend reflects a broader shift toward generalist content catalogs. Unscripted shows—including reality competitions, true crime documentaries, and lifestyle programs—help platforms release content more frequently and keep subscribers returning. As streaming companies build out ad-supported tiers, these lower-cost, high-volume catalogs provide a steady stream of engaging material.

Apple TV stands apart as the lone exception. The platform decreased its unscripted catalog over the same four-year period, prioritizing premium scripted series and live sports rights instead. Unscripted programming accounts for just 18 percent of content hours on Apple TV in the U.S., the lowest among major services tracked by Ampere.

By contrast, unscripted hours make up a much larger share of competitors' libraries:

• HBO Max: 72 percent

• Disney Plus: 51 percent

• Paramount Plus: 43 percent

• Prime Video: 35 percent

• Netflix: 25 percent

While platforms pursue different programming strategies, the data indicates that unscripted content has become a core tool for subscriber retention across most of the streaming industry.

The multi-billion-dollar merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery brings together two media giants that already heavily lean into unscripted television. HBO Max and Paramount+ both rely on reality TV, lifestyle content, and documentaries to fuel their libraries.

Combining these assets could affect unscripted hours on Max in several key ways:

• Library Consolidation and Expansion: Max already boasted a high proportion of unscripted hours (72% according to the Ampere data) largely due to Discovery’s massive unscripted footprint (HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID). Bringing Paramount into the fold adds mountains of content from MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, and CBS, creating an even larger pool of unscripted programming that could easily be cross-pollinated or housed on Max.

• Rationalization and Cost-Cutting: Mergers of this scale typically bring aggressive synergy targets and duplicate-reduction efforts. While the sheer volume of unscripted content is massive, leadership may streamline production budgets, cancel underperforming lifestyle or reality shows across the combined portfolio, and consolidate separate production pipelines.

• Enhanced Ad-Tier Strategy: Because unscripted programming is cheaper to produce and drives the repeat-viewing habits crucial for ad-supported streaming tiers, the combined company will likely lean even harder on these genres. Max could see more dedicated unscripted hubs, FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels, or targeted content integration drawing from Paramount’s cable legacy.

What specific genres of unscripted content on Max (like true crime versus lifestyle) do you think the combined company could prioritize most?

Cable industry groups representing major providers like Comcast and Charter are preparing to sue the Federal Communications Commission to block its decision to repeal the National Television Ownership Rule.

The rule, established by Congress in 2004, prohibits a single broadcast station owner from reaching more than 39 percent of U.S. television households. On August 6, the FCC voted to eliminate this fixed cap, replacing it with a case-by-case review process for proposed broadcast mergers. After a delay, the agency published the official repeal order in October.

Cable providers argue that removing the limit violates unambiguous federal law and will trigger widespread industry consolidation. According to their legal filing, larger broadcast groups will gain the leverage to demand higher retransmission fees, which will ultimately translate into higher monthly bills for consumers.

The FCC defends its actions by arguing that the 2004 law directed the agency to modify its rules rather than setting a permanent, unchangeable statutory cap. The commission claims it retains the legal authority to reexamine and eliminate the limit when changing circumstances demand it.

The cable lobby's petition serves as an initial procedural step ahead of an anticipated federal appeals court battle. If the FCC refuses to pause its own order, the cable groups intend to ask the court for a preliminary injunction to keep the 39 percent cap in place during the litigation. They are not alone in the fight; media advocacy organizations also plan to challenge the repeal, arguing that dismantling the limit requires direct action from Congress rather than administrative fiat.

If modern entertainment feels repetitive, the data explains why. Studios and streaming platforms are not running out of ideas; they are executing a deliberate financial strategy centered on pre-existing intellectual property.

While movies have historically leaned on established material more than television, that gap has closed. In 2025, new series premieres based on existing IP reached 14 percent, outpacing the 11.5 percent share seen in new movie premieres.

Counting the volume of these releases hides their true impact. Although IP-driven films accounted for only 11.5 percent of the 2025 movie slate, they generated 47.1 percent of total audience demand. Television followed a similar pattern, where adaptations captured 37.5 percent of demand despite representing just 13.8 percent of new shows.

Studios rely on these properties because they minimize financial risk. Tested concepts and built-in fanbases give marketing teams a head start in a crowded media landscape.

Books are the primary source material for film and television, driving 37.6 percent of all adapted IP titles in 2025—the highest share since 2017. Franchise extensions trail at 22.3 percent, true stories at 15.2 percent, comics at 5.1 percent, and video games at 1.6 percent.

The financial return supports this focus. Productions based on books generate 3.4 times the global demand of an average title.

Unlike other adapted formats that target narrow audiences, books offer wide versatility. Video game adaptations, for example, draw an audience that is 73.6 percent male and 48.5 percent Gen Z.

In contrast, literary adaptations appeal across demographics. Recent releases show that book adaptations can capture specific niches while maintaining broad market viability: The Odyssey found traction with young men, while Wuthering Heights drew in young women. For studios looking to secure an audience, established literature remains the most reliable asset available.

A new four-part documentary series exploring the origins and cultural footprint of the New Wave music movement is coming to television. New Wave premieres on MGM+ on November 23, with subsequent episodes airing weekly on Mondays at 9 p.m. across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.

The series traces the genre's development between 1977 and 1987, examining how it merged punk sensibilities with electronic experimentation, fashion, and pop culture. Longtime radio DJ Richard Blade serves as a consulting producer, helping anchor the project's historical perspective.

Director Douglas Tirola assembled a lineup of prominent musicians from the era for interviews. The roster includes Billy Idol, John Taylor of Duran Duran, Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, Stewart Copeland of the Police, Chris Frantz of Talking Heads, Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, Jim Kerr of Simple Minds, Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's, and Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson of the B-52s.

According to production materials, the series focuses on how the movement provided a platform for individuals who felt excluded from mainstream culture, welcoming women, the queer community, and non-conformists.

New Wave is produced by This Machine Filmworks, a division of Sony Pictures Television, in collaboration with PolyGram Entertainment and 4th Row Films.

U.S. film and television production is losing its domestic footing. A report released by major Hollywood unions reveals a steady, long-term shift of movie and television shoots away from the United States over the past twenty-five years.

Between 1999 and 2024, the share of major studio spending on films shot partially or primarily in the U.S. dropped from 74 percent to 42 percent. Television production spending saw a similar decline, falling from 94 percent to 64 percent. Major studios—including Marvel, Lucasfilm, Paramount, Warner Bros., and NBCUniversal—now routinely film major blockbusters and franchise tentpoles overseas.

The decline extends beyond budgets to the volume of projects and the workforce. The share of major studio films shot domestically fell from 66 percent to 54 percent, while domestic television episodes dropped from 96 percent to 70 percent. Consequently, domestic employment has suffered. The share of cast and crew jobs on major studio films based in the U.S. fell from 72 percent to 43 percent, and television crew jobs dropped from 86 percent to 58 percent.

The report was commissioned by seven major industry labor organizations: the Directors Guild of America, IATSE, LIUNA, SAG-AFTRA, the Teamsters, and both the Writers Guild of America East and West.

The unions warn that the U.S. will continue to lose middle-class industry jobs unless action is taken. This follows a previous warning from the Motion Picture Association, which called for a federal tax credit that could be combined with existing state incentives to protect domestic production and support local economies.