Cindy Holland, who has served as head of Paramount’s streaming business since last year’s merger with Skydance, is stepping down as CEO David El
Cindy Holland, who has served as head of Paramount’s streaming business since last year’s merger with Skydance, is stepping down as CEO David Ellison enters the final leg of the $111bn Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) merger.
In a memo to staff Holland, the chair of Paramount’s direct-to-consumer division, said Tuesday (September 29) would be her final day. Observers speculated her announcement paves the way for HBO and HBO Max Content chairman Casey Bloys to assume leadership of a combined streaming division once the WBD merger closes.
Holland said in the memo (titled ‘The Future’): “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.”
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Prior to taking on the role at Paramount, Holland served as an advisor to Skydance, CEO of Sister, and vice president of original content at Netflix.
Ellison said in a statement, “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.”
Cindy Holland memo
When I joined David’s team in January 2025, we proceeded to set three goals: i) advise on the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition, ii) integrate and transform Paramount+ & revive Pluto TV, and iii) build an unparalleled team in this industry. In just over 12 months, I’m proud to say we accomplished all three and it’s been a joy to work closely with all of you.
Together with the Product team, we drove significant strategic and organisational change across DTC — building a modern foundation for growth on both services, while investing in greater depth and breadth of programming and delivering sturdy revenue, profit, and subscriber growth for the division.
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. I know this team has the leadership and expertise to manage through the transition and the next phase of the company, and to this end today will mark my last day here.
As I reflect on my time here and all that we’ve built together in this brief time, what stands out most to me is this team. I have never been more proud of a group of people. What we’ve accomplished together is remarkable — landing quarter after quarter while navigating extraordinary uncertainty and change with resilience, focus and ambition. We grew Paramount+ to an all-time subscriber high, delivered the best retention in the service’s history, and drove double-digit growth in both engagement and revenue. We built an extraordinary content pipeline, greenlighting more than 40 modern and returning series and setting all-time records with Landman, the most-watched series in Paramount+ history, and Dutton Ranch, the service’s biggest original series debut ever. We transformed live sports into a powerful streaming growth engine, securing landmark agreements with UFC and Zuffa Boxing and expanding our WNBA and UEFA Champions League rights – with UFC Freedom 250 becoming the largest-ever audience for an exclusive live event on Paramount+ and UFC 329 setting a modern platform record for peak concurrent streams for an exclusive live event. And we undertook Pluto TV’s biggest product transformation in a decade, dramatically increasing registered viewing and VOD consumption while delivering sturdy financial performance across the business. These are extraordinary accomplishments – but what makes me proudest is how we achieved them: together, with an unwavering commitment to our audiences, our original partners and one another.
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.
