Description of Business—Effective February 16, 2022, we changed our name from ViacomCBS Inc. to Paramount Global, and effective at the open of market trading on February 17, 2022, our Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and 5.75% Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock (“Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock”) ceased trading under the ticker symbols “VIACA,” “VIAC” and “VIACP” and began trading under the ticker symbols “PARAA,” “PARA” and “PARAP,” respectively, on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. References to “Paramount,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Paramount Global and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

Beginning in 2022, primarily as a result of our increased strategic focus on our direct-to-consumer businesses, we made certain changes to how we manage our businesses and allocate resources that resulted in a change to our operating segments. Our management structure has been reorganized to focus on managing our business as the combination of three parts: a traditional media business, a portfolio of global direct-to-consumer streaming services, and a film studio. Accordingly, beginning in the first quarter of 2022 and for all periods presented we are reporting results based on the following segments:

•TV Media—Our TV Media segment consists of our domestic and international broadcast networks, including the CBS Television Network, Network 10, Channel 5, Telefe, and Chilevisión; our premium and basic cable networks, including Showtime, BET, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, international extensions of these brands, and CBS Sports Network; our television production operations, including CBS Studios, Paramount Television Studios and CBS Media Ventures, which primarily produces or distributes first-run syndicated programming; and our owned broadcast television stations, CBS Stations.

•Direct-to-Consumer—Our Direct-to-Consumer segment consists of our portfolio of pay, free and premium global direct-to-consumer streaming services (“DTC services”), including Paramount+, Pluto TV, Showtime Networks’ premium subscription streaming service (Showtime OTT), BET+ and Noggin.

•Filmed Entertainment—Our Filmed Entertainment segment consists of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Players, Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Studio, and Miramax.

Basis of Presentation—The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the more detailed financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

Discontinued Operations—On November 25, 2020, we entered into an agreement to sell our publishing business, Simon & Schuster, which was previously reported as the Publishing segment, to Penguin Random House LLC (“Penguin Random House”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, for $2.175 billion in cash. As a result, Simon & Schuster has been presented as a discontinued operation in our consolidated financial statements for all periods presented (see Note 2).

Use of Estimates—The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may vary from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Net Earnings per Common Share—Basic net earnings per share (“EPS”) is based upon net earnings available to common stockholders divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Net earnings available to common stockholders is calculated as net earnings from continuing operations or net earnings, as applicable, adjusted to include dividends on our Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock.

Weighted average shares for diluted EPS reflects the effect of the assumed exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) or performance stock units (“PSUs”) only in the periods in which such effect would have been dilutive. Diluted EPS also reflects the effect of the assumed conversion of preferred stock, if dilutive, which includes the issuance of common shares in the weighted average number of shares and excludes the above-mentioned preferred stock dividend adjustment to net earnings available to common stockholders.

Excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS because their inclusion would have been antidilutive were stock options and RSUs of 6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and stock options of 3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. Also excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was the effect of the assumed conversion of 10 million shares of Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock into shares of common stock because the impact would have been antidilutive. The table below presents a reconciliation of weighted average shares used in the calculation of basic and diluted EPS.


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
(in millions)		2022	2021
Weighted average shares for basic EPS		649	622
Dilutive effect of shares issuable under stock-based compensation plans		2	8
Assumed conversion of Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock		—	1
Weighted average shares for diluted EPS		651	631

Additionally, because the impact of the assumed conversion of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock would have been antidilutive, net earnings from continuing operations and net earnings used in our diluted EPS calculations for the three months ended March 31, 2022 were adjusted to include the preferred stock dividends recorded during the period. The table below presents a reconciliation of net earnings from continuing operations and net earnings to the amounts used in the calculations of basic and diluted EPS.


	Three Months Ended
		March 31, 2022
Amounts attributable to Paramount:
Net earnings from continuing operations			$	391
Preferred stock dividends			(14)
Net earnings from continuing operations for basic and diluted EPS calculation			$	377

Amounts attributable to Paramount:
Net earnings			$	433
Preferred stock dividends			(14)
Net earnings for basic and diluted EPS calculation			$	419