HBO's "Game of Thrones"
Paramount Boss David Ellison Says His Favorite HBO Show is ‘Game of Thrones’
March 2, 2026
The recently concluded $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery auction could be viewed by some as having elements of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” without the bloodshed, sex or fire-breathing dragons.
Media reports have suggested that the combined Paramount-WBD is now the newly united “Kingdom” attempting to defend its territory against the tech “invaders,” such as Apple, Amazon and Netflix.
Thus, it was perhaps no surprise that when asked what his favorite HBO show is, Paramount CEO David Ellison, who outlasted Netflix to acquire all WBD assets, including Warner Bros. Studios, HBO, HBO Max and Turner, would mention the George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss and David Benioff-created fantasy series,” which concluded its HBO run nearly seven years ago.
Some pundits predict a harsh environment among senior management in the coming months and year across both companies as Paramount decides which executives will “survive” the consolidation of two massive studio operations.
“It’s hard not to say ‘Game of Thrones,'” Ellison said on the March 2 special investor call.
The CEO also agreed that “Sopranos,” a story about a New Jersey mob boss who begins seeing a psychiatrist, was also among his favorites.
“Yes, that’s good too,” Ellison said. “There’s a lot … it’s a long list.”