Paramount+ head of originals Jane Wiseman is leaving the streamer as the post-merger combination of it and HBO Max takes shape.
Casey Bloys, co-CEO and chief content officer of Skydance Direct-to-Consumer, announced Wiseman’s departure as part of a memo defining the leadership team for Skydance’s streaming division. Several members of Bloys’ management team at HBO will remain in their current positions, while Sarah Aubrey, head of originals for HBO Max, will take over Paramount+’s original series production under her umbrella.
“HBO must continue its tradition of television excellence,” Bloys wrote, “but we also need 1) HBO Max and Paramount+ to continue their respective momentum until we are ready to bring them together, 2) team responsibilities must be clearly defined so that the creative community also knows where different programming fits into our operation.”
To that end, Francesca Orsi (drama series and films), Amy Gravitt (comedy series), Nina Rosenstein (late-night series and specials) and Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller (documentary programming) will continue to oversee their respective areas, with Aubrey also leading international programming. Glenn Whitehead, HBO’s head of business affairs, has been named president and COO of HBO and Paramount+, and Orsi’s title is elevated to president of HBO drama and films (she was previously executive vice president).
The structure – and Bloys’ memo (read it in full below) – suggest that HBO will continue to be the marquee name in Skydance’s streaming portfolio. Which makes sense: The HBO brand has a lot of clout in the industry (and with viewers), and HBO Max’s streaming footprint (around 140 million subscribers worldwide) is considerably larger than Paramount+’s (around 82 million).
Wiseman joined Paramount+ after Skydance acquired Paramount in 2025. Working under then-DTC chief Cindy Holland, Wiseman greenlit a high-profile series, including the legal thriller. Discretionwith Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, The best of us with Jeremy Strong, a Distraught update and dramas with Viola Davis (Ascent) and Anne Hathaway (Don’t be afraid). She also oversaw the prolific output of Taylor Sheridan and 101 Studios, the Dexter franchise and the rest of the Paramount+ series slate.
“I am incredibly proud of this team,” Wiseman wrote in her own note. “It’s been a privilege to be a part of it.”
Before joining Paramount, Wiseman was head of U.S. television at Sister. She spent a decade at Netflix starting in 2014 as its first executive hire as the streamer expanded its original programming ambitions, becoming vice president of original series and head of comedy.
Bloys and Wiseman’s memos are below.
Team,
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been diving into Skydance DTC’s future content structure, wanting to best position us to achieve our short- and long-term goals. When you think about the range of shows Harry Potter And The White Lotus has Landman And Dutton Ranch – just a small sampling of HBO Max and Paramount+ – you appreciate what we’re going to offer our consumers… and that’s just the beginning. Managing two streaming platforms with original programming will require a lot of collaboration and a team mentality. The opportunity before us is enormous and with your skills and commitment we will undoubtedly excel.
It’s no surprise that when David and I began discussing the future of streaming, he recognized HBO as a valuable asset in the acquisition and that it would play an important role in the company’s evolution. He knew that HBO was a collective – not a single person – that allowed the brand to thrive.
So when we started to formally map out a structure, that was the focus of our thinking, but it wasn’t the only one. Yes, HBO needs to continue its tradition of television excellence, but we also need 1) HBO Max and Paramount+ to continue their respective momentum until we are ready to bring them together, 2) team responsibilities need to be clearly defined so that the creative community also knows where different programming fits into our operation. That said, I’m happy to share with you the Skydance DTC content leadership team that I believe will best position us for success:
• Glenn Whitehead, President and COO, HBO and Paramount+: Glenn will oversee business affairs, production and operations across streaming platforms. Additionally, he will continue to guide AI initiatives for the department.
• Francesca Orsi, president, HBO dramas and films: Frannie will oversee the development and production of all HBO drama programming for HBO Max. She will work alongside me in an expanded role to determine which of the drama projects entering the ecosystem best embodies the HBO brand.
• Sarah Aubrey, head of Paramount+, Max Originals and international programming: Sarah will oversee all programming for Paramount+. Sarah will also work closely with me and Skydance management on the iteration of Paramount+ as we look to align with HBO Max. Additionally, Sarah will continue to be responsible for Max Originals, its current series and international programming for streaming platforms..
• Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Comedy Series and HBO Max: Amy is responsible for the development and production of HBO and HBO Max comedy series.
• Nina Rosenstein, Executive Vice President, Late Night Programming and HBO Specials: Nina develops and manages the production of HBO’s late night shows and specials.
• Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller, co-executive vice presidents, HBO documentary programming: Nancy and Lisa tops the documentary slate for HBO and HBO Max, across crime, sports, biographical genres and more.
Working closely with me and the content managers will be Jeff Cusson, Executive Vice President and Head of Communications, Skydance DTC. Jeff will oversee global communications strategy, advertising, events, talent relations and awards for streaming platforms. He will share the reporting line with JB Perrette, co-CEO of Skydance DTC and TV, and Melissa Zukerman, Skydance’s director of communications.
These leaders and their teams have a long history of consistent performance on key audience, awards and critical response metrics. No doubt they will continue to do so through Skydance DTC.
I would also like to thank Jane Wiseman. Jane, in partnership with Cindy Holland, has done incredible work at Paramount+. The development list is incredibly impressive and Jane has graciously offered to help with the transition. She is an extraordinarily talented executive. I appreciate all his support and wish him all the best.
I know we still have a lot to discover, but this first step should provide some direction. I’ve asked everyone above to start reaching out to their team members if they haven’t already. I look forward to spending more time with each of you and can’t wait to see everything we accomplish together.
Casey
*****
Team,
A year ago, we inherited a solid foundation and decided to expand on it. We had a record for Paramount+ Originals: Landman Season 2 was featured on Nielsen’s Top 10 Originals rankings for 13 consecutive weeks; The Madison broke audience records among women; Dutton Ranch launched as the largest original series premiere in Paramount+ history; Lioness Season 3 grew every week, up 62% from Season 2 and Season 2 of MobLand is off to an incredible start.
I am incredibly proud of this team. It was a privilege to be part of it.
Together, we’ve greenlit more than 40 new and returning series across scripted, unscripted, kids and family, and animation, including Discretion, Do not be afraid, Laird, Trauma, Ascension, Distraughtnd The best of usjust to name a few. You championed them early, fought for them against competing offers, and made quick decisions that allowed creators to maintain their trust in us.
I am grateful to the writers, producers and performers who trusted us, as well as our partners at Paramount Television Studios, CBS Studios, 101 Studios, Bosque Ranch, SISTER, A24, MGM Television, Hidden Pigeon Company, Kinetic Content, ITV Studios and more.
There are many more on the trail.
Thank you for this year. I’m proud of what we built, and even more proud of who built it with me.
Jane
Gn entert
