Joe Earley is promoted to lead Disney’s streaming efforts as Michael Paull departs

Disney has a new streaming boss.

Joe Earley, who was president of Hulu, has been promoted to president, direct-to-consumer, Disney Entertainment. Michael Paull, who previously held this position, is leaving the company.

The move comes after Bob Iger founded Disney Entertainment in February, the new division led by Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, a reorganization that saw the pair take over all of the company’s global streaming operations and all content decisions for Disney+ and those of Disney- took over controlled Hulu. management. These functions were formerly part of Kareem Daniel’s Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution Division.

Earley will report directly to Walden and Bergman and will continue to run Hulu until a successor is found. In his new role, Earley will work closely with content teams across the company to continue to expand streaming efforts for Disney+ and Hulu.

Earley joined Disney in January 2019 to oversee the marketing and operations of Disney+ through launch, and assumed responsibility for content curation in 2021 as the service expanded to dozens of markets around the world. He was named president of Hulu in January 2022.

Before joining Disney, he was president of the Fox Group and chief operating officer of Fox Television Group.

Paull is leaving the company after six years. He joined in 2017 as part of the acquisition of Bamtech Media, where he was CEO, and was promoted in January 2022 as part of Bob Chapek’s streaming restructuring. Prior to Bamtech, Paull was Amazon’s VP Digital Video for five years, leading Amazon’s global channels.

“Helping launch Disney+ was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Hulu was inspiring and rewarding,” Earley said. “I am incredibly grateful to Dana and Alan for their trust and the opportunity to lead both incredible teams during this changing time in the stream landscape.”

“Joe has proven to be an exceptional asset and is uniquely positioned for the role as we move Disney’s streaming strategy forward,” Bergman and Walden added. “His extensive industry experience and deep understanding of what differentiates our prestigious portfolio of brands will be critical as we build on our robust direct sales efforts. Joe is a talented, passionate leader dedicated to creative excellence and we look forward to working with him on this next chapter.”