Brian Robbins, Paramount Co-CEO Exits

Brian Robbins, Paramount Global's Co-CEO and President and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, announced his departure from the company in a memo to employees on Wednesday following the closure of Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media Thursday.

Robbins, who joined Paramount in 2017 as the first president of Paramount Players and became Co-CEO in April 2024 alongside George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy, has been a pivotal figure in steering Paramount through a challenging period.  His tenure saw significant achievements, particularly in revitalizing Paramount Pictures’ theatrical slate. 

Brian Robbins

Under his leadership, the studio produced Top Gun: Maverick, which grossed $1.49 billion globally, becoming Paramount’s highest-grossing film (excluding Titanic, which Paramount distributed domestically). Robbins also championed the theatrical releases of Smile ($217 million global gross) and the Mean Girls musical, pivoting them from streaming to theaters, with Smile becoming the studio’s third most profitable film in the last decade. 

Additionally, his oversight of Nickelodeon drove over $2.5 billion in consumer products revenue in 2023 from franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol, and he spearheaded a partnership with the NFL, resulting in Nickelodeon’s first alternate Super Bowl telecast.

In his memo, Robbins described the transition as “bittersweet” but expressed pride in Paramount’s accomplishments, particularly in bringing audiences back to theaters post-COVID. He voiced confidence in the incoming leadership under Skydance’s David Ellison, who will serve as chairman and CEO of the merged company, with Jeff Shell as president. 

Robbins’ departure follows that of Co-CEO Chris McCarthy, who also announced his exit after the FCC approved the merger on July 24, 2025. George Cheeks, the third Co-CEO, is expected to remain, overseeing CBS and taking on McCarthy’s cable network portfolio.