As news emerges that Paramount plans to bid for a full acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the company has also bolstered its sports coverage plans.
According to a report by Alex Weprin in The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount is launching a new division within the company called Paramount Sports Entertainment that will focus on creating films and programming with a sports focus. The new division, which will be headed by former president and COO of Skydance Media Jesse Sisgold, will also house Skydance Sports, a joint venture with the NFL that has produced series like Netflix’s America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys. Skydance, of course, recently completed a merger with Paramount.
Paramount Sports Entertainment will “complement” CBS Sports, which will still retain editorial control over live sports and studio programming, per Weprin.
“We are incredibly excited to expand Paramount’s best-in-class sports portfolio with the launch of our new Sports Entertainment division with Jesse at the helm,” CEO David Ellison said in a statement. “Blending cutting-edge technology, innovative entertainment, and the power of our media platforms, our goal is to deliver the very best in storytelling while reimagining how fans engage with the sports they love. This division embodies our fan-first philosophy and our dedication to delivering a full spectrum of sports entertainment that engages and inspires fans at every level.”
Paramount has made clear that, under new ownership, it is prepared to make a splash in the sports world. Shortly after the Skydance merger was completed, Paramount outbid several other suitors to secure UFC rights at a rate of $1.1 billion per year. The establishment of a new Sports Entertainment division seems to be continuing that trend.
Given the success of Skydance Sports outside the Paramount umbrella, it only makes sense to have that team play a larger role in the merged company.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.