Paramount streaming head Cindy Holland is leaving the company as David Ellison appoints HBO content chief Casey Bloys to oversee streaming operations ahead of Paramount's planned $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Holland, a former Netflix programming executive Ellison hired about a year ago to lead Paramount+, confirmed her departure in a staff memo, stating Ellison is optimizing for HBO stability in the combined business.

Ellison's choice of Bloys over Holland resolves a Hollywood debate over the key streaming role at the merged entity. Bloys, a premier programmer who has led HBO programming since 2016 and oversaw hits like "Succession" and "The White Lotus," was not interested in sharing the role. Ellison praised Holland as a "force of nature" whose impact on Paramount was significant.

Holland, one of Ellison's first major appointments after Skydance Media took control of Paramount in August 2025, had secured deals including the Duffer creators of "Stranger Things" and played a role in Paramount's effort to acquire Warner. The move comes as Paramount awaits judicial approval of its settlement with 12 Democratic state attorneys general over antitrust concerns regarding the Warner merger, which could occur as early as this week.