Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (or just Paramount for short), formerly named Paramount Global, ViacomCBS, and Viacom, is an American conglomerate that owns Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and SpongeBob SquarePants.
The original incarnation of Viacom was founded in 1952 by CBS as their syndication division (which was later spun-off due to FCC rules at the time), later purchased by National Amusements' Sumner Redstone in 1986. The second incarnation of Viacom was founded in 2005. The third and current incarnation of Viacom was founded on December 4, 2019, when it merged with its former division company CBS, naming it ViacomCBS. On February 15, 2022, ViacomCBS announced that it would change its name to Paramount Global on February 16, 2022, or just Paramount for short.
On July 7, 2024, American media companies Skydance Media and Paramount Global announced a definitive agreement to merge in a deal valued at $8 billion, forming a new entity known as "Paramount, a Skydance Corporation" led by Skydance's founder and CEO David Ellison. The agreement values the newly formed entity at approximately $28 billion. The transaction closed on August 7, 2025.
Viacom's name in The Patrick Star Show episode "Mid-Season Finale."
Viacom's name (as Viacom International Inc., currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount based in New York City that owns copyrights and trademarks relating to much of Paramount's original programming for cable television and streaming) has been present in the copyright byline for every SpongeBob episode as well as all products, even following the merger with CBS and name change to Paramount. The former Viacom name has also been referred to by name in an episode. In "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V," the narrator says "The International Justice League of Super Acquaintances! A subsidiary of Viacom," after he introduces all the members of the IJLSA. Viacom's name can also be seen in The Patrick Star Show episode "Mid-Season Finale" on the opening card for the "That's Tinkle" segment.
CBS and Viacom were already sister companies, both controlled by the National Amusements, but now they are operated by the same team together once again.
Paramount is consistently ranked as one of the largest American entertainment conglomerates, alongside The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, and Sony.
Video[]
Paramount Global (2022)
Trivia[]
- In the Latin American dub of "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V," the phrase was changed to "Subsidiaria de los Hermanos Tu-sabes" (Subsidiary of You-Know Bros), a pun of "Warner Bros."
External links[]
- Official website
- Paramount Skydance on Wikipedia