# Disney promotes Adam Smith to lead streaming

> Disney elevates its product chief to sole head of streaming, consolidating leadership after two years of shared responsibility.
- Title: Disney promotes Adam Smith to lead streaming | Shortify
- Summary: Disney elevates its product chief to sole head of streaming, consolidating leadership after two years of shared responsibility. Disney is betting on Adam…
- Keywords: disney, adam smith, streaming leadership, joe earley, dana walden, disney plus, direct-to-consumer, organizational restructuring, business, technology, promotes, Adam
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/read-memo-disney-streaming-leadership-changes-adam-smith-dana-walden-2026-9
- Author: James Faris
- Published: 2026-09-18T14:37:26.808+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: disney, adam smith, streaming leadership, joe earley, dana walden, disney plus, direct-to-consumer, organizational restructuring, business, technology
## Disney names sole streaming leader
Adam Smith, Disney's product and tech chief, has been promoted to head the company's direct-to-consumer business after previously sharing the role with Joe Earley.
## Why Disney wants one leader
Dana Walden said a single dedicated streaming leader will sharpen focus and speed up decision-making as the direct-to-consumer business continues to grow globally.

> Having a single dedicated leader will sharpen our focus and allow us to speed up decision making and operations.
## Smith's track record at Disney
In two years from Google and YouTube, Smith has driven significant growth and improvement to Disney's streaming platforms, including better user interface and greater engagement globally.

> Significant growth and improvement to our global streaming platforms.
## Smith's background in tech
Smith spent more than 20 years at Google, including 13 years at YouTube as VP of product management, before joining Disney two years ago.
## Earley moves to content strategy
Joe Earley will remain at Disney as president of franchise and content strategy for Entertainment TV, reporting to Debra O'Connell under Dana Walden.
## Employees react to the change
Disney staff praised Smith's AI expertise and ability to blend content and distribution, though some employees expressed sadness about losing Earley's leadership style.

> An AI native who can meld content creation and distribution together in a powerful way.
## Key takeaway

Disney is betting on Adam Smith's Google and YouTube experience to streamline decision-making and accelerate growth across its streaming services.