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Tag: Michael Paull

  • Disney+ announces Alisa Bowen as its new president

    Disney+ announces Alisa Bowen as its new president

    Mumbai: Alisa Bowen has been named Disney+ president, effective immediately. In this role, Bowen will build on the flagship streaming service’s reputation as a global destination for premium content. Bowen has led global business operations for Disney’s streaming platforms, including Disney+, since its launch in 2019. In that time, Disney+ has expanded rapidly, growing its reach to 154 markets worldwide with 152.1 million total subscriptions as of the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2022.

    Bowen will work closely with key leaders across Disney to drive continued focus on innovation, including the forthcoming launch of the ad-supported tier, as well as multi-channel promotional support for Disney+ and its robust content slate. Regional leaders for Disney+ in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific, and Latin America will report jointly to Bowen and regional leadership. Bowen will continue to report to Michael Paull, president of Disney Media Entertainment and Distribution Direct to Consumer.

    “Alisa has been an indispensable member of our leadership team since the inception of Disney+. She possesses a rare and valuable combination of deep institutional knowledge, forward-thinking innovation, and global vision rooted in a strong focus on our consumers that is perfectly suited for this critical role, and I am confident that she will have an immediate and positive impact on the business,” said Paull.

    “Disney+ is a phenomenal growth story and has delighted fans around the world on a tremendous scale. We have a best-in-class team behind this success, and I’m excited to partner with them in this new role as we drive the next phase of Disney+ growth. Our upcoming content is incredibly exciting, and we are committed to innovation to give our fans and subscribers the best possible experience, including more choice on how they can enjoy Disney+,” said Bowen.

    Bowen is a seasoned media executive with decades of experience in product, technical, and operational leadership roles in several global media organisations. She most recently served as Disney Streaming executive VP of global business operations. She oversaw global content and business operations for the company’s direct-to-consumer video streaming businesses, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and Star+. This included cross-functional leadership of the global Disney+ rollout in 154 markets worldwide.

    She joined Disney in 2017 as SVP of digital media and CTO of the company’s international operations, where she led a transformation of Disney’s channel broadcast technology, content operations, and digital publishing across EMEA, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

    Prior to Disney, Bowen served as News Corp Australia’s CTO, where she was responsible for the digital transformation strategy, including the pivot to digital subscription business models and the launch of new digital advertising offerings. She has also held product, business operations, and general management leadership positions at major media organisations.

  • Disney taps Google’s Jeremy Doig to lead its streaming as CTO

    Disney taps Google’s Jeremy Doig to lead its streaming as CTO

    Mumbai: Media conglomerate Disney has roped in Google veteran Jeremy Doig as the new chief technology officer for Disney Streaming. In this role, Doig will report directly to Disney Streaming president Michael Paull.

    Doig brings 30 years of experience in online media to lead the technology organisation and global technology strategy for The Walt Disney Company’s portfolio of direct-to-consumer streaming services. He will play a key role in driving the next phase of technical innovation and growth for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and Star+.

    During his 18 year career at Google, Doig developed new standards for online media, spanning novel compression approaches for audio and video, streaming protocols for real-time and on-demand delivery, and spatial experiences.

    “Jeremy is a true visionary that has sat at the forefront of making online video streaming possible in his nearly 30-year career at the intersection of technology and media, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Disney Streaming leadership team, ” remarked Michael Paull. “We have an exceptional team of global technologists, and Jeremy’s experience leading transformational initiatives in complex and dynamic environments will make him an incredible asset to lead this world-class group.”

    “I am thrilled to be joining The Walt Disney Company at this crucial moment in the entertainment industry, ” said Doig in a statement.

  • Disney forms international content group, Rebecca Campbell to lead

    Disney forms international content group, Rebecca Campbell to lead

    Mumbai: The Walt Disney Company is creating a new hub for international content under the direction of international content and operations chairman Rebecca Campbell.

    The company is also making several key executive appointments to its media and entertainment distribution segment under the leadership of its chairman Kareem Daniel.

    Joe Earley becomes Hulu’s new president

    In her newly expanded role as international content and operations chairman, Campbell will focus on local and regional content production for Disney’s streaming services, as well as continue overseeing Disney’s international media teams worldwide, reporting directly to The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek.

    “Disney’s direct-to-consumer efforts have progressed at a tremendous pace in just a few short years, and our organisation has continued to grow and evolve in support of our ambitious global streaming strategy,” stated Bob Chapek. “Rebecca has played a vital role in orchestrating our global platform expansion, and I’m excited that she will be leading our new International Content group, bringing her expertise and talent to oversee the growing pipeline of original local and regional content for our streaming services while continuing to lead our international operations. Likewise, with a relentless focus on serving consumers, Kareem has developed an industry-leading team of seasoned executives who are uniquely equipped to take our streaming business into Disney’s next century.”

    Campbell will continue to oversee the company’s teams in the Asia Pacific, EMEA, India and Latin America who manage the company’s international linear channels, regional streaming, local ad sales, and local distribution. “Great content is what drives the success of our streaming services, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work even more closely with the talented creators in our international markets who are producing new stories with local relevance to delight our audiences around the globe,” she said in a statement.

    The international content and operations group will be home to a fourth content-creation engine for the company, alongside the studios’ content, general entertainment content and sports content groups.

    Michael Paull has been promoted to the newly created role of Disney Streaming president with accountability for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Star+ and will oversee these platforms globally for the media and entertainment distribution segment reporting to Daniel.  

    “From the inception of our DTC business, we have been guided by a single, clear goal—to bring audiences the best entertainment wherever and whenever they choose—and we have continued to build a world-class team to deliver on that promise,” said Kareem Daniel. “Michael Paull has deep experience in the world of streaming and is an accomplished leader with a passion for this business and a proven track record of building and expanding our streaming operations. Bringing Disney’s streaming platforms together under Michael’s expert leadership will allow us to create an even more compelling value proposition for consumers.”

    Joe Earley, who previously served as Disney+ executive vice president marketing and operations, has been named Hulu president and will report to Paull.

    The streaming leadership team will also include a new head of Disney+, who has yet to be named. Russell Wolff continues to serve as head of ESPN+. These roles will also report to Paull.

    “Now that we have established our platforms as category leaders, I’m looking forward to the new challenges ahead as we continue to innovate and scale globally, while delighting consumers with all the incredible entertainment and sports programming coming from our content partners,” said Michael Paull. “I’ve also had the pleasure of working closely with Joe Earley these past few years and can’t imagine a better leader to take the helm of Hulu.”

  • Disney parts ways with Netflix, plans sports & TV shows VoDs, buys BAMTech majority

    MUMBAI: Traditional studios too would want to take advantage of the changing viewing habits. Disney has agreed to acquire a majority ownership of the streaming and marketing service BAMTech, LLC and will launch its ESPN-branded multi-sport video streaming service (VoD) in early 2018, followed by a Disney-branded direct-to-consumer service in 2019. It will be Netflix-like services — one for films and television shows and another for sports. To that end, Disney is paying $1.58 billion for majority ownership of BAMTech.

    Meantime, Disney, in one of the boldest moves a traditional studio took against a leading digital platform, is ending its distribution agreement with Netflix for new releases. The subscription services (SVoD) would appeal to the millennials who are turning away from traditional media and subscribing to digital platforms Netflix. The ESPN service may feature 10,000 sporting events annually including Major League Baseball games.

    Under terms of the transaction, Disney will pay $1.58 billion to acquire an additional 42% stake in BAMTech—a global leader in direct-to-consumer streaming technology and marketing services, data analytics, and commerce management—from MLBAM, the interactive media and Internet (HHH) company of Major League Baseball. Disney previously acquired a 33% stake in BAMTech under an agreement that included an option to acquire a majority stake over several years, and today’s announcement marks an acceleration of that timetable for controlling ownership.

    “The media landscape is increasingly defined by direct relationships between content creators and consumers, and our control of BAMTech’s full array of innovative technology will give us the power to forge those connections, along with the flexibility to quickly adapt to shifts in the market,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “This acquisition and the launch of our direct-to-consumer services mark an entirely new growth strategy for the Company, one that takes advantage of the incredible opportunity that changing technology provides us to leverage the strength of our great brands.”

    The ESPN-branded multi-sport service will offer a robust array of sports programming, featuring approximately 10,000 live regional, national, and international games and events a year, including Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, Grand Slam tennis, and college sports. Individual sport packages will also be available for purchase, including MLB.TV, NHL.TV and MLS Live.

    The new service will be accessed through an enhanced version of the current ESPN app. In addition to the multi-sport service, the ESPN app will include the news, highlights, and scores that fans enjoy today. Consumers who are pay TV subscribers will also be able to access the ESPN television networks in the same app on an authenticated basis. For many sports fans, this app will become the premier digital destination for all their sports content.

    The new Disney-branded service will become the exclusive home in the U.S. for subscription-video-on-demand viewing of the newest live action and animated movies from Disney and Pixar, beginning with the 2019 theatrical slate, which includes Toy Story 4, the sequel to Frozen, and The Lion King from Disney live-action, along with other highly anticipated movies. Disney will also make a significant investment in an annual slate of original movies, TV shows, short-form content and other Disney-branded exclusives for the service. Additionally, the service will feature a vast collection of library content, including Disney and Pixar movies and Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD television programming.

    With this strategic shift, Disney will end its distribution agreement with Netflix for subscription streaming of new releases, beginning with the 2019 calendar year theatrical slate.

    Plans are for the Disney and ESPN streaming services to be available for purchase directly from Disney and ESPN, in app stores, and from authorized MVPDs.

    “We’re very proud of the content distribution innovations driven by MLBAM and BAMTech over the past 15 years,” said Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “Major League Baseball will continue to work with Disney and ESPN to further grow BAMTech as it breaks new ground in technologies for consumers to access entertainment and sports programming.”

    “This is an exciting validation of our team, its achievements and the customer-centric platform it’s built,” said Michael Paull, Chief Executive Officer of BAMTech. “Yet, we’ve merely scratched the surface of what can be accomplished in a future where we combine Disney and ESPN’s world-class IP and our proprietary direct-to-consumer ecosystem.”

    The BAMTech transaction is subject to regulatory approval, and upon closing, Mr. Iger will serve as Chairman of the BAMTech Board. MLBAM and NHL will continue as minority stakeholders in BAMTech, with seats on the Board. Mr. Paull will report to Kevin A. Mayer, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, The Walt Disney Company. John Skipper, ESPN President and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks, will manage the new ESPN-branded service.

    The BAMTech transaction is expected to be modestly dilutive to Disney’s earnings per share for two years. Additional dilution as the Company implements its direct-to-consumer strategy will be dependent on the Company’s licensing approach and the level of investment in original programming.

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  • Amazon’s Michael Paul joins MLB’s video streaming service BAMTech

    MUMBAI: Amazon’s digital media executive Michael Paull has been hired to lead the $3 billion video-streaming company BAMTech. The announcement was made by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, which sold one-third of BAMTech to Walt Disney in August. Disney bought a 33 per cent stake in BAMTech for $1 billion Baseball still owns a majority of BAMTech. Disney in three years will have the option to take a controlling stake.

    Paull is due to take up his new role next month and is expected to oversee Disney-owned sports network ESPN’s upcoming subscription streaming service. He will relocate from Seattle to New York and report directly to BAMTech’s board of directors. He replaces Bob Bowman, who will remain MLB’s president of business and media. Bowman will also serve on the seven-member BAMTech board of directors, along with Rob Manfred, ESPN President John Skipper, Disney executive Kevin Mayer and commissioner of the National Hockey League Gary Bettman, which is also an investor in the company.

    “Michael will deliver on the incredible potential and promise this venture has for building powerful viewing experiences for its clients and their customers,” Manfred said in a statement.

    For the last three years, Paull has been vice president of digital video for Amazon Inc. He oversaw the introduction of Prime Video and significantly increased the production of original series and films. Prior to joining Amazon, Paull also held leadership positions at Sony Pictures, Sony Music, Fox Entertainment and Time Warner.

    BAMTech started out as the interactive media and internet company of Major League Baseball and is now jointly owned by Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), The Walt Disney Company and the National Hockey League (NHL). It claims to have 7.5 million global paid subscribers through OTT products for sports, news and entertainment partners including HBO Now, the NHL, MLB, the PGA Tour, WWE Network, Riot Games/League of Legends, and Ice Network.

    Through a partnership with Discovery, BAMTech also jointly formed BAMTech Europe to move into this market and provide technology services to a broad set of clients across the continent, including Eurosport’s digital products.