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Cindy Holland Exits Paramount Ahead of WBD Merger
Confirmed
In Short: Cindy Holland, Paramount's chair of direct-to-consumer, is leaving the company ahead of its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
Cindy Holland, who served as the chair of Paramount Skydance's Direct-To-Consumer division, announced her departure from the company in a memo to staff.
Holland's role was pivotal in advising on the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) acquisition and integrating Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
In her memo, Holland stated that Paramount CEO David Ellison is optimizing for HBO stability as the company moves into the next phase.
Holland's departure raises questions about the future of her top executives, including Paramount+ Head of Originals Jane Wiseman, who has been a close collaborator.
Holland and Wiseman had worked together at Netflix and Sister before joining Paramount, where they put together Paramount+’s programming strategy.
Holland highlighted her achievements, including growing Paramount+ to an all-time subscriber high and delivering the best retention in the service’s history.
Holland's tenure saw the announcement that Taylor Sheridan, behind Paramount+’s biggest hits, would be moving to NBCUniversal in January 2029.
Holland joined Paramount in January 2025 with the goals of advising on the WBD acquisition, integrating Paramount+ and Pluto TV, and building an unparalleled team.
Holland's exit memo indicated that Ellison had shared his plan for the leadership of the combined HBO Max and Paramount+ streamer, hinting at Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, as the presumed streaming head.
Bloys had previously indicated that he would like to keep his senior HBO team intact after the WBD acquisition by Paramount.
While Bloys coming aboard is not official and the merger has not yet closed, it could be solidified in a matter of days.
Questions remain about the integration of HBO and HBO Max into Paramount+ or whether they will stand alone.
What this adds
Holland's exit memo did not specify her next professional move.
The exact timeline for the merger and the integration of HBO Max into Paramount+ remains unclear.
What's confirmed
- Cindy Holland is leaving Paramount Skydance where she was Chair of Direct-To-Consumer having previously served as an advisor to Skydance CEO David Ellison.
- “As David readies for the next phase of his vision, we’ve discussed my role and the future of the combined businesses. David is optimizing for HBO stability as we move into this next chapter, and I fully support that,” Holland wrote.
- “Cindy is one of the most exceptional executives in our industry — a force of nature whose impact on Paramount over the past year has been significant,” Paramount CEO Ellison said.
- Today, September 29, is her last day at Paramount.
What's still developing
- The two put together Paramount+’s programming strategy, which includes expanding the slate, dominated by Taylor Sheridan dramas into “female forward dramas” with a string of series orders, starting with Discretion, starring Nicole Kidman, which recently began production.
- “I joined Paramount because I believe in these businesses, and because I believe wholeheartedly that the combination of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery serves the best interests of artists and audiences worldwide,” Holland said.
- In her note, Holland reflected on some of her accomplishments over the past 13 months.
- In a Sept. 29 staff memo, Holland, who spent 18 years at Netflix as VP of content until leaving in 2020, said she is exiting after having achieved her goals of helping Paramount establish a DTC business, and advise on the $110.8 billion equity acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Holland, who is currently working as a consultant… Your email address will not be published.
- Holland, a 16-year veteran at Netflix,… Taking a page from her previous employer Netflix, Cindy Holland, chair of direct-to-consumer (Paramount+ and free ad-supported streaming television platform Pluto TV) at Paramount, says the Paramount+ platform will increase original content production around episodic series that bring viewers back… Warner Bros.
- DGH will use the funds along with available cash to pay off an existing $15 billion… Cindy Holland, former VP of original content at Netflix, is reportedly set to run Paramount+ streaming operations when Paramount Global's $8 billion merger with Skydance Media is formally approved by federal regulators.