Overview
- Skydance, which completed the acquisition on October 6, began trading as a public company led by David Ellison with Ynon Kreiz as co‑CEO.
- The takeover was financed with large equity backing from Larry Ellison, roughly $24 billion from Middle Eastern sovereign funds for about 49.5% of the company, and about $54 billion in bank debt commitments.
- Credit agencies immediately downgraded Skydance to junk status and the company now carries roughly $80 billion to $114 billion of combined debt with major maturities concentrated between 2028 and 2033.
- Management has pledged up to $40 billion in annual content spending and roughly $6 billion in cost savings, plans that come as top creative executives depart and newsroom staff report unease over editorial independence.
- The deal closed after DOJ review and court approval that imposed conditions such as minimum U.S. theatrical releases and newsroom safeguards, and industry analysts warn the combination of heavy leverage and legal constraints could force asset sales, layoffs, or scaled‑back original projects.