Luis Silberwasser exits TNT Sports as David Berson takes over Skydance sports group

What happened

Luis Silberwasser, chairman and CEO of TNT Sports, sent an internal email on Monday confirming he will leave the company as the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger closes. The memo, obtained by multiple outlets, says his exit is timed with the creation of a single sports division that will sit under the newly‑named Skydance entity.

Who is involved

The key figures are Silberwasser, who has run TNT Sports since 2022 after moving from Univision, and David Berson, president and chief executive officer of CBS Sports. Berson, a CBS veteran since 2010 and the network’s president since 2024, has been tapped to lead the global sports group that will bring together CBS Sports, TNT Sports and WBD Sports.

Skydance chairman and CEO David Ellison announced the senior‑leadership team on Monday, and a formal press release on Berson’s appointment is expected within days. A CBS spokesperson declined to comment on the move, while sources close to the deal say Skydance will soon confirm the organisational chart.

What comes next

The combined sports arm will control a massive rights portfolio: NFL Sunday afternoon games, all of March Madness, college football, the NHL, MLB, the Masters, the French Open and a host of other events. It will also inherit TNT’s sublicence deals for the College Football Playoff, All‑Elite Wrestling, NASCAR and a digital‑rights agreement for the NBA through the 2029‑30 season, despite the NBA’s shift to NBC and Amazon.

Berson will have to decide which properties to retain and which to divest as Skydance works to service nearly $80 billion of debt tied to the $111 billion merger. The new structure is expected to streamline negotiations with distributors and advertisers, while preserving the “world‑class portfolio” that both companies have built over the past decade.

Key numbers

• Merger value: $111 billion (CNBC)
• Closing date: 6 Oct 2026 (CNBC)
• Debt to be serviced: nearly $80 billion (CNBC)
• Silberwasser’s tenure at TNT Sports: since 2022 (The Hollywood Reporter)
• Berson’s start as CBS Sports president: 2024 (Deadline)

The sports landscape will continue to evolve as streaming platforms vie for live rights, and Skydance’s newly formed division is positioned to be one of the industry’s biggest owners of premium sport content.