Joe Earley (pictured), who previously headed up Hulu, has been promoted to replace Michael Paull as president of direct-to-consumer (DTC) for Disney Entertainment.

He officially stepped into the company’s top streaming position this week, reporting to Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden.

Earley has played a key role in guiding DTC strategy since joining Disney in 2019, overseeing marketing/operations during the launch of Disney+ and serving as Hulu’s president since January 2022.

He will now be responsible for both streamers, as well as continuing to serve as Hulu’s chief until a successor is found.

Before joining Disney, Earley was president of The Jackal Group (The Addams Family), where he oversaw the LA-based studio’s TV, film, theater and digital business divisions. He was also a longtime Fox executive, serving in senior roles including president of marketing and communications and COO of Fox Television Group.

Earley’s promotion comes amid a major restructuring at Disney, which includes Bob Iger’s dismantling of DMED, and Walden’s reorganization of the company’s TV division last month. Iger’s changes since his return have led to a wave of layoffs, resulting in the departure of top execs and the closure of its metaverse division.