Disney Names Hulu Chief Joe Earley Head of Streaming
Major changes are continuing at Disney.
Today, Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, co-chairmen, Disney Entertainment, announced that Hulu chief Joe Earley will serve as its new president of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment, effective immediately.
With the appointment, Earley succeeds Michael Paull, who is leaving the company after six years.
Disney’s new DTC president, who most recently served as president of Hulu, will now lead Disney Entertainment’s streaming efforts for Disney+ and Hulu and report to Bergman and Walden.
“Joe has proven himself to be an extraordinary asset and is uniquely positioned for this role as we guide Disney’s streaming strategy into the future,” Bergman and Walden said in a statement. “Joe is a talented, passionate leader, committed to creative excellence, and we look forward to partnering with him in this next chapter.”
In the new role, Earley is set to work with content teams around the company to expand Disney’s streaming efforts and drive impactful, engaging programming offerings across Disney+ and Hulu. In addition to the new duties, Earley will continue leading Hulu until the company decides on a successor.
“Helping launch Disney+ was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Hulu has been inspiring and rewarding,” Earley said.
Earley joined Disney in January 2019, overseeing Disney+ marketing and operations in the lead-up to its November launch that year. In 2021, he added content curation to his purview as the service continued to expand worldwide, and he was named president of Hulu in January 2022. At the time, he reported to Paull, who was then president, Disney streaming.
The change comes amid speculation that the company will sell its 67% ownership in Hulu, with Comcast owning the remaining 33%.
Disney is also currently going through a major restructuring. In February, CEO Bob Iger announced a 10-figure streaming loss and a workforce reduction that would result in 7,000 layoffs, which reportedly started last week.