Disney Shakes Up Leadership Amid Streaming Push

Disney has made significant changes to its leadership team, naming Adam Smith as Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer and Joe Earley as President of the newly created Disney Entertainment Television Franchise and Content Strategy division.

Smith will lead strategy and innovation across Disney's streaming platforms, including Disney+ and Hulu, overseeing product, engineering, programming strategy, viewer experience, partnerships, and data and analytics. He joins this role after serving as Co-President, Direct-to-Consumer and Chief Product & Technology Officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN.

Earley will focus on maximizing the value of Disney's television franchises and creating new opportunities to engage audiences, overseeing international originals, production, labour relations, and creative talent development. He has been with Disney since 2019, initially overseeing global Disney+ marketing and operations ahead of its launch.

Dana Walden, President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company, praised Smith's exceptional job building a world-class team of product and technology leaders, significantly enhancing the Disney+ user experience globally. She noted that Smith is the right leader to take the company to the next level.