The Walt Disney Co. said that Joe Earley will oversee Disney Plus and Hulu as president, direct-to-consumer, Disney Entertainment, replacing Michael Paull, who is leaving the company.
Disney has been cutting costs and looking to make its streaming businesses profitable.
Earley had been president of Hulu. The company said it is looking for someone to replace Early in that post.
Disney said Earley will be working closely with content teams around the company to expand Disney’s streaming efforts with impactful and resonant programming.
He will report to Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, co-chairmen of Disney Entertainment
“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,” said Bergman and Walden. “His vast industry experience and deep understanding of what sets our prestigious portfolio of brands apart will be essential as we build on our robust direct-to-consumer efforts. Joe is a talented, passionate leader, committed to creative excellence, and we look forward to partnering with him in this next chapter.”
Earley joined Disney in 2019 to oversee Disney Plus marketing and operating as it was being launched. He was name president of Hulu in January 2022.
“Helping launch Disney Plus was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Hulu has been inspiring and rewarding,” said Earley. “I’m incredibly grateful to Dana and Alan for their confidence and the opportunity to lead both of these incredible teams during this time of transformation across the streaming landscape.”
Paull joined Disney from Amazon as CEO of BAMTech. He was named president of streaming in 2022.
