Paramount Global (doing business as Paramount) is a former American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation operated and owned by theater company National Amusements. The company was formed from the union between the second iteration of Viacom and CBS Corporation. The merger was announced on August 13, 2019 and the company began operations as ViacomCBS on December 4 of the same year [1]. On February 16, 2022, ViacomCBS was renamed to Paramount to emphasize their streaming service, Paramount+ and their film studio Paramount Pictures.

History

On February 15, 2022 during a presentation to investors, ViacomCBS announced that it would change its name to Paramount Global beginning February 16; in a memo to staff announcing the change, it was stated that the rebranding was intended to leverage the "iconic global name", and would "reflect who we are, what we aspire to be, and all that we stand for." The company will primarily refer to itself as simply "Paramount".^[1]

Name changes and predecessors

			CBS (1927-present) Includes: CBS Studios, CBS Media Ventures, CBS Home Entertainment, CBS News, CBS News Radio, CBS Interactive, CBS Enterprises, CBS Films, CBS Records, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports HQ, CBS Sports, CBS EYE Productions, and CBS Productions
Paramount Pictures (1912-present) Subsidiary changes: All Paramount-named divisions purchased in 1994, including Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Television Studios, Paramount Records and Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Television Network is launched
American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres (1949-1989) Replaced by Capital Cities/ABC (currently Disney General Entertainment Content), 1985-1996
Paramount Communications (1989-1994) previously Gulf+Western (1934-1989)	Westinghouse Electric Corporation (through Westinghouse Broadcasting Company (which was shortened to Group W)) Notes: Originally planned as part-owner of Disney Channel, but cancelled those plans, leaving the Disney as the only owner of the network Subsidiary changes: Eyemark Entertainment is opened (as a replacement to Group W Productions). Also had ownership of Paramount+ with Showtime and Paramount Network.
Viacom (old) (1952-2000) Subsidiary changes: MTV/Nickelodeon/VH1 (through the purchase of Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, currently named Paramount Media Networks), Blockbuster and Paramount Pictures (including part-owned subsidiaries, USA Network and Syfy (both networks that are currently owned by a new media company known as Versant) and any other divisions that feature the Paramount name) are purchased. Noggin, TV Land, MTV2, Comedy Central, Nick Games and Sports For Kids and UPN are launched.	CBS Corporation (original) (1997-2000) Subsidiary changes: Eyemark Entertainment is discontinued (replaced by CBS Media Ventures)
Viacom (old) (combined, 2000-2006) Subsidiary changes: BET, CBS and Paramount Network are purchased, Nicktoons television network launched, full ownership of Comedy Central starts, the Logo network is launched. Ownership of DreamWorks Pictures starts.
CBS Corporation (2006-2019) Subsidiary changes: Added Pop, The CW is launched, UPN is discontinued	Viacom (new) (2005-2019) Subsidiary changes: Ownership of Telefe Pluto TV, Rainbow and Mirage Studios starts, DreamWorks Pictures ownership ended, Nick Games and Sports For Kids is discontinued.
Paramount Global (2019-2022 (ViacomCBS), 2022-2025 (Paramount)) Notes: Was in response to Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox earlier that year, which included 20th Century Fox (which is currently named 20th Century Studios) and FX Subsidiary changes: Chilevisión is purchased, Simon and Schuster and Rainbow ownership ended.
Skydance Media (2006-2025) Notes: Production company for various Paramount film franchises.	National Amusements (originally named Northeast Theater Corporation)
Paramount Skydance (2025-present) Subsidiary changes: Ownership of Chilevisión, Telefe and Telefe Internacional ends.
Warner Bros. Discovery (2022-present) (originally named WarnerMedia and Time Warner) Current owners of Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT as well as part owner of The CW
Warner Bros. Discovery/Paramount Skydance hybrid company (unknown date and new name, upcoming) Currently unknown, would add Cartoon Network, TBS, Warner Bros., TNT and additional ownership of The CW alongside the other preexisting companies mentioned above. It would have Warner Bros./Paramount Pictures, Cartoon Network/Nickelodeon and TBS/Paramount Network having the same owner if it’s completed.

The history of the current company is quite convoluted in the various acquisitions and merging that happened between 1952 and 2026. The company’s beginning was with a syndication division for CBS. In 1971, it was renamed to Viacom (Video and audio communications). In 1994, they purchased Paramount Communications (which included Paramount Pictures). In 2000, they reunited with CBS after nearly 29 years of being separate, this also meant that UPN was transferred to the CBS side of the company. In 2006, they separated again (similar to the 1971 separation) and created Viacom (new) and CBS Corporation. In 2019, they decided to merge again after seeing similar events happening between other media companies, which resulted in them creating ViacomCBS, which was a portmanteau of the two companies names. In February 2022, they renamed to Paramount, which was mainly due to them wanting to emphasize their streaming platform which was launched in 2021, Paramount+ and also their main film production company, Paramount Pictures. As a result of their renaming, they removed the byline from the film studio’s newest logo, likely to avoid people assuming that Paramount Pictures owns itself (considering that the logo has the "Paramount" text already displayed on it).

Primary acquisitions

• 1985: Nickelodeon, MTV, and Showtime
• 1994: Paramount Pictures (through Paramount Communications purchase)
• 1994: Blockbuster
• 2000: CBS and Paramount Network
• 2001: BET Networks (BET)
• 2005: DreamWorks Pictures (later divested in 2008)
• 2016: Telefe
• 2019: Paws, Inc.
• 2019: Miramax
• 2021: Chilevisión
• Unknown date: Warner Bros. Discovery (including Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT and Warner Bros.)

Also purchased Rainbow and Mirage Studios

Gallery

References

See also

• second Viacom, its predecessor
• CBS Corporation, its other predecessor
• List of companies owned by Paramount, list for their subsidiaries

External links

• 2019 merger of CBS and Viacom page on Wikipedia
• Company website
• Official website
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Global

v - e - d

Assets Paramount Assets: Paramount Pictures Group • CBS Entertainment Group • Nickelodeon Group • MTV Entertainment Group • Showtime Networks • BET Networks • Paramount International Networks • Paramount Streaming Current divisions ViacomCBS: ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks (Nickelodeon • VH1 • MTV • Logo • BET • Comedy Central • TV Land • Paramount Network) • ViacomCBS Networks International (Telefe • Channel 5 • Network 10 • ViacomCBS International Studios (Viacom International Studios)) • Paramount Pictures ( Paramount Animation • Paramount Players • Paramount Home Media Distribution • Paramount Television Studios) • CBS (The CW • CBS Television Studios • CBS Studios International • CBS Television Distribution • CBS Television Stations • CBS EYE Productions) • Rainbow • Showtime Networks Upcoming subsidiaries Cartoon Network • TBS • TNT • Warner Bros. (all through Paramount’s planned purchase of their current owner, Warner Bros. Discovery) Predecessors Paramount Communications • "first" Viacom • "second" Viacom • CBS Corporation • ViacomCBS People Shari Redstone • Robert Bakish • Joseph Ianniello