Paramount co-CEO Brian Robbins will exit the company following the closing of the media giant’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, announcing his departure to employees in a memo sent on Wednesday.
In addition to the co-CEO role, Robbins has served as president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon. He was promoted to co-CEO alongside George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy in April 2024 following the resignation of former Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish.
“When I first walked onto the Paramount Pictures lot as a young filmmaker many years ago, I never imagined I’d one day be entrusted with leading this storied studio,” Robbins wrote in the memo. “It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to work alongside such an extraordinary group of people – creators, executives, teams – whose passion and dedication continue to inspire me every day.”
As head of Paramount Pictures, Robbins oversaw the filmed entertainment division’s creative strategy and worldwide business operations, including securing strategic filmmaker partnerships and expanding the studio’s franchise business across live-action features, animation, consumer products and themed entertainment. Since taking the helm of the film studio in 2021, Robbins has overseen franchises including “Transformers,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “A Quiet Place,” “Mission Impossible,” “Scream,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
As Nickelodeon’s president and CEO, Robbins has overseen all creative, strategic and business operations for the company’s kids and young-adult focused brands, such as “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Paw Patrol.” Additionally, he has been chief content officer of movies and kids & family at Paramount+, responsible for growing the service’s global portfolio of live-action and animated kids and family programming, both episodic and film.
“This moment of transition is, of course, bittersweet. But I step away with deep pride in what we’ve built together, and with great confidence in the road ahead. The company is in exceptionally capable hands with David Ellison and the incoming team from Skydance, and I know you’ll continue to thrive and excel with your collective talents,” Robbins wrote.
Robbins first joined the company in 2017 as the first president of Paramount Players. He became president of Nickelodeon in 2018 and would go on to serve as ViacomCBS’ president of kids and family entertainment.
Prior to Paramount, Robbins founded Awesomeness, which was later acquired by DreamWorks Animation in 2013 and Viacom in 2018. He also was an executive producer on series including the CW’s “Smallville,” and “One Tree Hill”; Nickelodeon’s “All That” and “Kenan and Kel”; Disney Channel’s “So Random,” Spike TV’s “Blue Mountain State” and a producer on Warner Bros.’ “What I Like About You” and HBO’s “Arli$$”. In the feature film world, his directing and producing credits include “Varsity Blues,” “Hardball” and “Coach Carter,” among many others.
In the second quarter of 2025, Paramount’s filmed entertainment division posted a loss of $84 million, widening 54% year over year due to lower profits from licensing. Total segment revenue grew 2% to $690 million, with ad revenue falling 71% to $2 million, theatrical revenue climbing 84% to $254 million driven by the release of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and licensing and other revenue falling 19% to $434 million, driven primarily by lower licensing of animated content.
In addition to Robbins, co-CEO Chris McCarthy is set to exit Paramount following the merger, while co-CEO George Cheeks will remain with the company as head of its TV Media division.
Skydance chief creative officer Dana Goldberg and former Sony Motion Picture Group president Josh Greenstein will serve as co-chairs of Paramount Pictures. Goldberg will also serve as chair of Paramount Television, while Greenstein will serve as vice chair of platforms.
Read the full memo from Robbins below.
Team,
I’m writing today to share with you that I am departing as Co-CEO of Paramount Global, and President and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon. As my time with the company comes to a close, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to all of you.
When I first walked onto the Paramount Pictures lot as a young filmmaker many years ago, I never imagined I’d one day be entrusted with leading this storied studio. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to work alongside such an extraordinary group of people – creators, executives, teams – whose passion and dedication continue to inspire me every day.
As I reflect on our time together, we’ve jointly experienced an incredible amount of change and transformation. Through global disruptions, shifting audience behaviors, and major industry evolution, your perseverance and creativity never wavered. You stayed focused, resilient, and committed to our shared mission: telling great stories that captivate audiences. With commitment and care, we brought new life to our studio’s franchises, expanded into new platforms, and strengthened our footprint across film, television, streaming, and consumer products.
At Paramount Pictures, we’ve continued to build on a legacy of great entertainment while pushing forward with fresh voices and ambitious ideas. You’ve helped bring to life stories that entertain, resonate, and endure, and reminded audiences why theatrical matters – why shared experiences in dark rooms still have the power to unite. We’ve reinvigorated beloved properties and expanded franchises, including “Sonic the Hedgehog“, “Scream“, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,“ “A Quiet Place,“ and “Mission: Impossible.” We championed bold new films like “Smile” and “Bob Marley: One Love,“ and delivered new takes on classic films like “Mean Girls “and “The Naked Gun“ – and of course – this team is behind the highest-grossing film in the studio’s history, “Top Gun: Maverick.“ In the wake of Covid, we led the charge bringing audiences back to theaters at a time when the world longed for connection and community, leading to a record-breaking year in the studio’s history.
At Nickelodeon, I’m especially proud of how we honored the iconic heritage of the brand while building new connections with today’s generation through innovative content, smart digital strategy, and deep franchise expansion – from” SpongeBob” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to “Dora” to “PAW Patrol” and beyond. Also, our groundbreaking and Emmy® Award-winning simulcasts of the NFL Playoff and Super Bowl games set the bar for massive engagement with a younger generation during these landmark sporting events. As a result, we expanded Nick’s standing as a creative wellspring and as the #1 kids’ entertainment brand.
This moment of transition is, of course, bittersweet. But I step away with deep pride in what we’ve built together, and with great confidence in the road ahead. The company is in exceptionally capable hands with David Ellison and the incoming team from Skydance, and I know you’ll continue to thrive and excel with your collective talents.
To everyone across the company, thank you. Thank you for staying the course in difficult moments, and for pushing boundaries with heart and determination. Most importantly, thank you for your friendship. It has been an honor to be on this journey with you. I’ll be cheering for you – always.
With gratitude,
Brian