Bloys Retains HBO Core, Reassigns Paramount+ to Aubrey as Wiseman Exits

Key points

• Jane Wiseman, head of originals at Paramount+, is leaving her position after approximately 14 months, following the departure of former D2C head Cindy Holland.
• Casey Bloys, co-CEO of Skydance DTC, has confirmed that his previous HBO leadership team will remain in place, including Amy Gravitt, Nina Rosenstein, and documentary heads Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.
• Sarah Aubrey, formerly head of HBO Max originals, has been given a new title encompassing Paramount+, Max Originals, and international programming, effectively absorbing Wiseman’s former responsibilities.
• Francesca Orsi has been promoted from executive vice president to president of HBO drama series and films, with expanded authority to determine which projects align with the HBO brand.
• Glenn Whitehead has been named president and COO of both HBO and Paramount+, overseeing business affairs, production, and AI initiatives across the combined streaming platforms.

Background

This restructuring follows the $110 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which created Skydance. The acquisition, completed in October 2026, left the new entity with significant debt and integration challenges. Wiseman had joined Paramount+ in 2025 under Cindy Holland, greenlighting high-profile series such as 'Discretion' and 'The Best of Us.' Her exit marks the consolidation of content leadership under Bloys, who previously led HBO and HBO Max.

How outlets are covering it

The Hollywood Reporter emphasizes the strategic decision to keep HBO as the primary brand due to its larger subscriber base (140 million vs. Paramount+'s 82 million) and industry prestige. Deadline highlights that the new team is identical to Bloys' previous HBO roster, suggesting a 'purge' of non-HBO executives. C21media notes that the merger is valued at $110 billion and that Wiseman’s departure was expected after Holland’s exit. All sources agree that the two platforms will operate independently in the short term before merging, but they differ on the tone: THR frames it as a strategic alignment, while Deadline comments reflect anxiety about executive purges.

Why it matters

The retention of the HBO team and the reassignment of Paramount+ to Aubrey indicate that Skydance intends to prioritize HBO’s brand equity and content quality. This structure may affect the future of Paramount+ original series, as they will now fall under a leadership team historically associated with HBO’s prestige model. The move also signals a clear hierarchy in the combined streaming operation, with HBO executives holding the most senior titles.

What to watch

Sarah Aubrey will work with Skydance leadership to align Paramount+ with HBO Max, though no specific timeline for the merger has been provided. The new executives are expected to begin communicating with their teams immediately. The integration of the two platforms will likely involve further restructuring as the company works to reduce costs and unify content slates.