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Disney is switching up its streaming leadership team, which currently consists of co-presidents of direct-to-consumer Adam Smith and Joe Earley.
Smith has been named chairman of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment,
while Earley is shifting into the newly created role of president of Disney Entertainment Television franchise and content strategy. Smith and Earley will report to Disney president and chief creative officer Dana Walden, who announced the news Thursday.
The shake-up comes at a time when Disney is focused on making Disney+ a main focal point for the company. The goal internally is to a structure that creates a single, dedicated leader for the direct-to-consumer business as it continues to scale.
Additional details about the leadership changes will be announced at a later date.
As chairman, Smith will be responsible for the company’s global entertainment SVOD business, driving strategy, development and continued innovation across the company’s streaming platforms, proprietary advertising technology, emerging technologies and more, per Disney, In his expanded role, Disney says Smith will oversee Disney+ and Hulu, including product, engineering, advertising technology, programming strategy, viewer experience, partnerships and data & analytics.
In his new role, Earley will lead the strategic development of Disney Entertainment Television franchises, maximizing their value and creating new opportunities to engage audiences and drive the business forward. Earley will oversee all content and production for international originals, production, labor relations and creative talent development.
After more than 20 years working at Google and YouTube, Smith joined Disney in 2024 as chief product and technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN. He was promoted to co-president of direct-to-consumer alongside Earley back in March.
“Over the past two years, Adam has done an exceptional job building a world-class team of product and technology leaders and has significantly enhanced the Disney+ user experience globally,” The Walt Disney Company president and chief creative officer Dana Walden said. “Alan Bergman and I are pleased to recognize the tremendous impact he has had on our direct-to-consumer business since he joined Disney, and we are confident that he is the right leader to meet the critical moment we’re in and take us to the next level.”
“Disney has the best storytellers and the most passionate fandom in the world, and I couldn’t be prouder of what this team has built together,” Smith said. “We’ve established real momentum, and our vision ahead is clear: make Disney+ the connection point for fans everywhere to engage with the full breadth and depth of the broader Disney ecosystem. I’m grateful for this team, energized by what’s ahead, and excited for our next chapter.”
Most recently co-president of direct-to-consumer and head of content strategy, Earley joined Disney in 2019 to oversee global Disney+ marketing and operations ahead of its launch. He was then named president of Hulu in 2022 and became the head of Disney’s direct-to-consumer division in April 2023. Previously, Earley worked at Fox.
“Joe has been an exceptional leader for our direct-to-consumer business over the past four years, and I am deeply grateful for his partnership and meaningful contributions,” Walden said. “He is a talented executive with a rare combination of business acumen and creative instincts, and Debra OConnell and I could not be more excited to welcome him to the leadership team at Disney Entertainment Television.”
