Skydance Reorgs TV and Streaming Distribution Leadership Team Post-Merger, Eight Execs to Exit

Skydance has reshuffled its TV 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 execs who were with Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are departing.

The latest changes at Skydance — formed by the megamerger of David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance and WBD, which closed Oct. 6 — were announced in an internal memo by Ray Hopkins, president of distribution.

Hopkins’ two top lieutenants heading the distribution team are Sarah Bergman, an HBO veteran who most recently was WBD’s EVP of networks and streaming distribution, and Mickey Carter, formerly EVP of distribution for Paramount. Bergman and Carter will share the title of EVP of distribution and they will split responsibility for negotiating distribution agreements and managing partnerships.

The Skydance distribution team handles deals for CBS owned-and-operated stations, 55 basic cable networks, Paramount+, HBO Max, Discovery+, Pluto TV and over 100 FAST channels.

The execs leaving Skydance are: Rivka Golomb (WBD head of distribution strategy and finance), Kelly Kane (WBD SVP partner marketing), Jeff Cross (WBD EVP, legal, distribution and commercial partnerships), Rich Palermo (WBD EVP network and streaming distribution), David Comisar (CBS, SVP, affiliate distribution), Kurt Davis (EVP, CBS affiliate relations), Deena Demasi (Paramount, EVP of marketing, distribution and business development) and Ken Kay (Showtime, EVP of distribution and affiliate marketing).

In addition to the new roles for Bergman and Carter, Hopkins announced several other members of the leadership team in the Nov. 3 memo:

• Brad Shipley, EVP, business development and strategy, will oversee strategy, new growth partnerships, Pluto TV and FAST distribution, advanced advertising partnerships as well as business planning and analytics. He will also serve as distribution lead for Skydance Global Sports Group.
• Patrick Cavanaugh, EVP and CFO, distribution finance, will lead economics for all linear and streaming negotiations.
• Rick Baker, EVP, deputy general counsel, distribution, business and legal affairs, will oversee business and legal affairs for Skydance’s distribution across linear and streaming. With Baker’s new role, Cross will be leaving the company but will remain a senior adviser to the distribution business.
• Joe Bahr, SVP, partner operations, will manage operational issues across partners.
• Andrew Borak, SVP, marketing, will lead the combined distribution marketing function.
• Bob Aguanno, SVP, CBS affiliate relations, will manage Skydance’s relationships with roughly 200 CBS affiliate TV stations, working with the CBS Network affiliate board.
• John Bagwell, SVP, associate general counsel, will negotiate contracts with the station groups and the CBS Network affiliate board.

Hopkins reports to JB Perrette, the former Warner Bros. Discovery exec who now serves as co-chair and chief business officer of Skydance TV and Skydance Direct-to-Consumer. With Hopkins’ appointment, Scott Miller, who previously served as WBD’s president of networks and streaming distribution, exited the company.

Skydance execs have targeted $6 billion in annualized cost savings through the combination of Paramount and WBD — and mass layoffs at the company are expected before the end of this year. Certain eligible employees at the new Skydance are being offered the option to take voluntary buyout offers, according to an Oct. 26 companywide memo from Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz.

The changes in Skydance’s distribution team were first reported by Reuters.