Disney names Adam Smith chairman of direct-to-consumer unit

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has named Adam Smith as Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer for Disney Entertainment, according to a statement from Dana Walden, President and Chief Creative Officer of the company.

In the role, Smith will oversee Disney+ and Hulu, including product, engineering, advertising technology, programming strategy, viewer experience, partnerships, and data and analytics. He will also be responsible for the company's global entertainment subscription video-on-demand business and proprietary advertising technology.

Smith joined Disney in 2024 and most recently served as Co-President, Direct-to-Consumer and Chief Product and Technology Officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN. Prior to Disney, he spent more than 20 years at Google and YouTube in executive roles.

The company also announced that Joe Earley will take on the newly created role of President, Disney Entertainment Television Franchise and Content Strategy. In that position, Earley will lead strategic development of Disney Entertainment Television franchises and oversee content and production for international originals, labor relations, and creative talent development.

Earley joined Disney in 2019 and most recently served as Co-President, Direct-to-Consumer and head of content strategy. He was named President of Hulu in 2022. Before Disney, he held roles at Fox across content, communications, marketing, and operations.

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