Chris McCarthy

Notable work and positions

Creative Partner Studios (exclusive arrangement with NBCUniversal) - Chief Executive Officer and President (2026-present)
Paramount Global - Co-Chief Executive Officer (2024-2025)
Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios - President and CEO

Biography

Chris McCarthy is a media executive who has served as CEO and president of Creative Partner Studios, operating under an exclusive arrangement with NBCUniversal, since January 2026. Raised in Levittown, Pennsylvania, he holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering and commerce from Drexel University (1998) and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (2003). He joined Viacom in 2003 and rose through content leadership roles, becoming general manager of MTV2 in 2008, president of VH1 in 2015, and adding MTV to his purview in 2016. In January 2023 he began overseeing Showtime Networks and merged its streaming service with Paramount+ and the organization with MTV Entertainment Studios, and was named president and CEO of the combined Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, overseeing brands including MTV, Showtime, Comedy Central, Smithsonian Channel and the Paramount Network. In April 2024, after the ouster of CEO Bob Bakish, McCarthy became one of three co-CEOs of Paramount Global alongside George Cheeks and Brian Robbins, leading a turnaround that returned the company to double-digit EBITDA growth and helping oversee its merger with Skydance Media. Under his leadership, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios produced series including Yellowstone, Landman, South Park, Emily in Paris and MobLand, and he signed Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan to a nine-figure overall deal. He departed Paramount in 2025 following completion of the Skydance merger. He has served on the board of Coursera since January 2023.