Disney has promoted Hulu president Joe Earley to lead all direct-to-consumer operations, replacing the departing Michael Paull.
Earley will have complete oversight of Disney Entertainment’s streaming efforts across flagship brands Disney+ and Hulu, and will work with content teams to drive “impactful and resonant” programming. He will also continue to lead Hulu until Disney identifies a successor.
Paull, who is exiting Disney after six years with the company, has been D2C chief since early 2022, having previously served as president of Disney+ and ESPN+ for four years.
The senior shake-up comes after chief exec Bob Iger announced the beginning of three rounds of job cuts, which will result in 7,000 layoffs across the company by this summer.
Earley joined Disney in 2019 to oversee Disney+ marketing and operations in the lead-up to its launch that year, adding responsibility for content curation in 2021 as the service expanded its international rollout. He was named president of Hulu in January 2022.
Earley will report to Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, co-chairs, 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,” Bergman and Walden said in a statement.
“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.”
This story first appeared on Screen’s sister site Broadcast
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