Adam Smith to Lead Disney+ and Hulu as Joe Earley Takes New TV Role
Disney’s September 17, 2026 announcement expands Smith’s responsibilities across technology, programming strategy and viewer experience, while Earley moves into television franchise and content strategy.
The short answer: Disney’s September 17, 2026 announcement expands Smith’s responsibilities across technology, programming strategy and viewer experience, while Earley moves into television franchise and content strategy.
Disney+ and Hulu’s technology, programming strategy and viewing experience will come under Adam Smith’s expanded leadership. Disney named Smith chairman of Direct-to-Consumer for Disney Entertainment on September 17, 2026, while announcing a newly created television franchise and content strategy role for Joe Earley.
Smith will oversee Disney’s global entertainment subscription-streaming business. His responsibilities across Disney+ and Hulu include product development, engineering, advertising technology, programming strategy, viewer experience, partnerships, and data and analytics. The remit spans both the technology that powers the services and how viewers find and watch their programming.
For US subscribers, that work includes an increasingly connected viewing experience. Disney+ bundles let subscribers stream Hulu and ESPN content within the Disney+ app. Disney also announced profile linking for eligible subscribers, bringing Hulu watch history, watchlists and recommendations into Disney+. That initiative is a concrete example of the product work covered by Smith’s expanded responsibilities.
From shared leadership to distinct roles
The appointments follow a shared leadership arrangement. Smith and Earley were named co-presidents of Direct-to-Consumer, sharing responsibility for Disney+ and Hulu strategy and financial performance. Earley also led content strategy, while Smith continued as chief product and technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN. September’s announcement names Smith chairman and gives Earley a new television role.
Smith joined Disney in 2024 after more than two decades at Google and YouTube. As YouTube’s vice president of product management, he led Music, Premium Subscriptions and Commerce—experience with subscription products that connects directly to his expanded Disney portfolio.
We’ve established real momentum, and our vision ahead is clear: make Disney+ the connection point for fans everywhere to engage with the full breadth and depth of the broader Disney ecosystem. Adam Smith, Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment, September 17, 2026
Earley’s move into television
Earley will become president of Disney Entertainment Television Franchise and Content Strategy. He will lead the strategic development of the division’s franchises and oversee all content and production for international originals. His responsibilities also include production, labor relations and creative talent development.
His Disney career connects streaming operations with the audience-facing work of launching a service. Earley arrived in 2019 to oversee global Disney+ marketing and operations ahead of its launch, then became president of Hulu in 2022, leading its on-demand and live-streaming businesses. Before Disney, he spent more than two decades at Fox, progressing from publicity through marketing and communications to senior operating roles. That background brings both marketing and television operations experience to his new assignment.