Former Netflix and Sister exec’s departure from US studio comes ahead of its $111bn acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery
Paramount’s head of streaming Cindy Holland is stepping down ahead of the company’s impending acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.
Holland has overseen the US studio’s DTC offering since last year when Paramount merged with Skydance, but her exit now seemingly paves the way for HBO veteran Casey Bloys to take the top streaming job once the $111bn deal is completed.
In a memo to staff Holland, Holland said: “As David readies for the next phase of his vision, we’ve discussed my role and the future of the combined businesses.
“David is optimising for HBO stability as we move into this next chapter, and I fully support that.”
Before being named chairman of streaming at Paramount, Holland had worked for Ellison’s Skydance as an advisor.
Prior to that, she had been chief exec of Sister Group’s US office, a role she left two years ago following more than a decade as vice president of original content at Netflix.
During her time at Paramount, Holland made a number of hires including adding Jane Wiseman and Efrain Miron to her team.
Ellison said: “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.
“Under her leadership, P+ reached new heights, Pluto TV underwent its most significant transformation in a decade, and we strengthened our content and sports portfolio – all while the business exceeded the ambitious goals we set.
“Just as importantly, she built an exceptional team and a strong foundation for the future. Cindy has been a trusted partner to me and so many others, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her leadership, her relentless drive and everything she’s done for our company.”
Holland added in her own memo to staff that her team had driven “significant strategic and organisational change across DTC — building a new foundation for growth on both services, while investing in greater depth and breadth of programming and delivering strong revenue, profit, and subscriber growth for the division.”
She continued: “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. I’m looking forward to seeing what you all accomplish together in this next, momentous chapter.”
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