Disney reshuffles streaming leadership, appoints Adam Smith as DTC chairman and Joe Earley to TV franchise role

Disney announced a reorganization of its streaming leadership, naming Adam Smith chairman of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment and creating a new president role for Joe Earley focused on television franchise and content strategy. The moves were revealed by Disney president and chief creative officer Dana Walden, who said the restructuring aims to give the streaming business a single, dedicated leader as it scales.

Smith, a former Google and YouTube veteran who joined Disney in 2024, will now be responsible for Disney+, Hulu, advertising technology, product development and analytics. Earley, who has overseen Disney+ marketing and Hulu since 2019, will oversee all content and production for international originals and talent development. Both will report to Walden, and further details will be provided in future announcements.