Assuming the acquisition of Paramount Global by Skydance Media goes through next year, longtime media executive Jeff Shell will take over Paramount with potentially massive ripple effects for CBS and the sports world.
Shell comes from NBC Universal, where he was CEO from 2019-23, and emphasized sports across all parts of the company’s portfolio. According to CNBC’s Alex Sherman and Lillian Rizzo, Shell is expected to maintain that emphasis as he takes over Paramount, which will give him oversight over CBS and Paramount+.
Shell could use sports to lead an overhaul of the 10 p.m. broadcast window. At NBC, Shell openly considered ceding that slot to local affiliate programming and saving production expenses. Executives there shot down the idea because the network still made money on shows like Law & Order, which also served as a lead-in for its signature Tonight Show.
Now at CBS, Shell could revitalize that strategy as part of a diktat to cut costs. While CBS does have hits like NCIS and FBI, Shell could have broader power for a shakeup than he did at NBC.
That’s where sports come in.
CNBC reports that no CBS Sports employees were included in September’s layoffs at Paramount. Pulling from its library of college basketball and football, golf and NFL rights, “it wouldn’t be surprising if Shell migrates away from CBS entertainment programming toward sports, even in prime time, if those opportunities present themselves,” CNBC reported.
Sports continue to be among the only draws when it comes to live television, and Shell’s potential plans at Paramount would only reinforce that trend.
