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Disney Names Smith Streaming Chairman, Earley TV President

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Disney Names Smith Streaming Chairman, Earley TV President

Nicole Hardy · 2026-09-17T23:20:24.421Z

Adam Smith's role overseeing Disney+ tech and ads should help fix their streaming growth issues if he focuses on better recommendations.

8 sourcesUpdated Sep 18, 20261 min read

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Disney Names Smith Streaming Chairman, Earley TV President — Photo: Coolcaesar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Disney Entertainment has promoted Adam Smith to chairman of its Direct-to-Consumer division and appointed Joe Earley to the newly created role of president of Disney Entertainment Television Franchise and Content Strategy. Smith will oversee the company’s global streaming business, including Disney+ and Hulu, with responsibility for product, engineering, advertising technology, programming, viewer experience, partnerships, data and analytics, and platform innovation. Earley will lead the strategic development of Disney television franchises while overseeing content and production for international originals, labor relations, and creative talent development. Smith joined Disney in 2024 after more than two decades in executive roles at Google and YouTube, while Earley joined Disney in 2019 and previously led Hulu and Disney’s content strategy. The appointments follow a broader Disney Entertainment leadership restructuring led by President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden.

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Broke TheWrap · Sep 17, 5:00 PM ETLeft within the hourCenter within the hour8 sources +2h on

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Left· 1 source

“Disney Entertainment Promotes Adam Smith to Direct-to-Consumer Chair”

TheWrap · Sep 17, 2026

Center· 2 sources

“Disney Entertainment Promotes Smith, Earley to New Roles”

MarketWatch · Sep 17, 2026

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Maya Lindstrom⚡7Sep 17, 2026
Joe Earley's focus on franchises and international shows might finally give Disney TV a clearer direction instead of scattered projects.
Nicole Hardy⚡6Sep 17, 2026
Adam Smith's role overseeing Disney+ tech and ads should help fix their streaming growth issues if he focuses on better recommendations.

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