Currently, one of the most important Paramount+ dramas isn’t that you can stream, but that’s behind the scenes, with Cindy Holland taking on the starring role. The former Netflix original content manager helped her former employer become a like Mindhunter and crown. Now, after her sudden deportation in 2020 after 18 years in office, she has attracted much attention as the head of Paramount’s direct-to-consumer division. Her comeback comes at a critical moment: Paramount’s merger with Skydance has just closed; streamers are facing cost-cutting and creative reboots; Hollywood is watching closely to see if the Netherlands can stand out again, which is on a smaller scratch platform.
The $8 billion Paramount Skidance merger ends the Redstone family’s long-term control over the media giant. Skydance CEO David Ellison’s technological forward vision will be reconsidered, including AI-assisted production and restarting Paramount+. In a mission statement shared on Thursday, Ellison highlighted plans to expand Paramount+ and Pluto TV, a free advertising-supported service that offers hundreds of live channels “Strong, profitable global players.”
Paramount bets that trustworthy creativity like Holland can restore its struggling streaming while navigating the impact of about $2 billion in budget cuts. Whether she can copy her Netflix era success remains one of the company’s biggest problems in the future.
Based on her track record alone, hiring the Netherlands is a coup that could bring huge dividends to Paramount. She is a Netflix executive, and she realized the potential of Prestige Originals before streamers built their own deep libraries. On Netflix, she also signed Shonda Rhimes to reach a $100 million deal Bridgeton And oversees many original works, which not only make Netflix a household name, but also reshapes the way Hollywood operates.
The book by reporter Gina Keating Netflixed: The Epic Fight of the American Eyeball Telling the story of Netflix’s rise to streaming advantage, he says the Netherlands is at the heart of shaping Netflix’s reputation as a cutting-edge, creator-friendly studio. “She hosted content creation at a critical moment on Netflix. The character she chose to drive the show House of Cards,,,,, Orange is new blackand Narcos Shows that Netflix’s goal is something different – with the more risky storylines most studios try on those days. Keating told Observer.
With nearly 78 million subscribers and libraries in the CBS staple, and more than six Taylor Sheridan-produced dramas, Paramount+ remains the underdog in the crowded streaming market. The arrival of the Netherlands signaled her ambitions for the kind of prestige programs that Netflix advocates.
Even before her official appointment, the Netherlands had shaped Paramount’s direction. Additionally, she reportedly consulted Skydance in the takeover, which influenced the renewal decision during Showtime’s performance Yellow jacketaccording to Anker. Her current mission is to balance the blow to verify with higher risk originals that have made Paramount+ long lack of creative identity.
To get Paramount+ to the top of the Lottery Man, the Netherlands will have to browse the lean budget, fight against competitors in deeper pockets, and win audiences that are harder to impress than her earlier Netflix era. Realizing this will mark a shift in platform ambitions, from playing safety with familiar franchisees to fence swinging in search of the next cultural phenomenon, not just the next Yellow stone spin off.
Clear at a glance
- Launch: March 4, 2021 (renamed from all accesses in CBS)
- Parent company: Paramount, now Skydance Corporation
- Subscribers: approximately 78 million (as of mid-2025)
- Original hit: 1923,,,,, King of Tulsa,,,,, Halo,,,,, Special Action: Lion
- Sister Service: Pluto TV (free, supported, 250 live channels)
