Paramount has been at the center of conversations in the media due to its efforts to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Over the past few weeks, a lot of reports have been published regarding the company's goals, and plans for WBD should the merger happen. But, outside of the merger and the ambitious plans in place for a potential new business entity, inside Paramount itself, things are said to be tense, according to a new report. The company, which merged with Skydance earlier in 2025, recently went through a round of layoffs.
In October, NBC News reported that Paramount had initiated firings expected to affect over 1,000 employees. The company is reportedly expected to lay off 1,000 more employees, which would cut down Paramount's workforce of approximately 20,000 people by 10%. Now, a report from Variety has provided insight into the morale in the company during the layoffs, calling the process "merciless."
Women are said to have been impacted the hardest. Per Variety, out of the 14 television executives who were reportedly fired, 11 of them are said to have been women. However, a source close to Paramount told Variety the firings were "not motivated by MAGA politics or gender."
An anonymous CBS News staffer expressed their dissatisfaction with the firings, stating: "I've lost a lot of friends. A lot of really great writers and a lot of really great journalists have lost their jobs to pay for [CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss]' six bodyguards and $150 million deal. And I think that's bullshit."
A Paramount executive went as far as to say that, having been part of other mergers, they found Paramount's particularly "merciless." As they stated: "They didn't show a lot of respect. I've been through other mergers, and there’s no other word to describe this one than merciless. It's a new way of doing business."
At the time of the first round of layoffs, Paramount CEO David Ellison wrote a memo to employees, which stated (via CNN):
"[These] steps are necessary to position Paramount for long-term success. In some areas, we are addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organization. In others, we are phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities and the new structure designed to strengthen our focus on growth."
At the time the Paramount-Skydance merger closed, Paramount released a statement, vowing to revitalize the company:
"The close of this transaction positions Paramount to forge a new path forward in the entertainment industry, combining its extensive creative library and global distribution network with Skydance's production expertise and industry-leading technological capabilities. In the near-term, Paramount will leverage strategic investments to capitalize on identified synergies and opportunities to streamline its business, with a focus on forward-thinking approaches to content creation and storytelling, as well as providing value and stability for shareholders. Supported by RedBird Capital's business building and financial acumen, the newly combined entity will rely on best-in-class leadership and tech-enabled innovation to revitalize and position one of entertainment's most storied enterprises for long-term success."