Paramount Makes Cuts, CBS Drops Some Streaming Efforts

Paramount Global (now Paramount Skydance), the parent company of CBS, began a major round of layoffs on Wednesday, affecting approximately 1,000 U.S.-based employees in the first wave, with another 1,000 cuts planned soon after—totaling about 2,000 jobs or roughly 10% of its workforce.

The layoffs cut across a broad swath of the company and included staff at CBS, cable channels including MTV, BET and Comedy Central, television production as well as the historic Melrose Avenue film studio, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment.

Another 1,000 jobs are expected to be cut at a later date, ultimately bringing the total reduction to about 10% of Paramount’s current workforce, sources said.

At CBS News, about 100 people were forced out. The company pulled the plug on two digital newscasts, the unit’s Johannesburg bureau and several correspondents.

The layoffs stem from Paramount's $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, completed in August 2025, as new CEO David Ellison seeks $2 billion in cost savings through restructuring, eliminating redundancies, and refocusing on growth areas like tech, AI, sports, and film.

In an internal memo, Ellison wrote: "In some areas, we are addressing redundancies... In others, we are phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities."

CBS laid off approximately 100 employees on October 29, 2025, as part of Paramount Skydance’s 2,000-job cut to achieve $2 billion in merger-related savings.

Programming casualties:

• Canceled CBS Mornings Plus and CBS Evening News Plus streaming shows.
• Overhauled CBS Saturday Morning, removing co-hosts Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson.
• Closed Johannesburg bureau.
• Disbanded race & culture unit.