Hollywood CEO Pay Surges 51% While Industry Cuts 17,000 Jobs

The top 18 Hollywood executives earned a combined $746 million in 2025, a 51% increase from $615 million in 2024, according to TheWrap's analysis of proxy filings. The pay surge, driven largely by stock awards, contrasts with over 17,000 job cuts across TV, film, broadcast, news, and streaming in 2025, per Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav led with $165 million, more than triple his 2024 compensation, and is eligible for an $887 million golden parachute tied to the Paramount merger. The median CEO-to-worker pay ratio among these companies far exceeds the S&P 500 average of 281 to 1, with Zaslav's at 1,378 to 1, AMC Theatres' Adam Aron at 1,174 to 1, and Skydance's David Ellison at 1,109 to 1. Starz's Jeff Hirsch had the lowest ratio at 67 to 1. An ISS Corporate study found media and entertainment CEO pay had the highest median increase of any industry at 117.4%, while shareholder returns fell 28.6%. Shareholder votes against executive pay are non-binding, though Netflix capped co-CEO base salaries at $3 million in 2023 after pushback. Victor Sanchez of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy proposed an 'Overpaid CEO Tax' targeting executives earning over 50 times their median worker, which could generate $500 million annually for housing, after-school programs, and infrastructure. The initiative needs 140,000 signatures for the November ballot.