Disney+ President Exits To Run Fubo TV
Last year, Disney announced that it was acquiring the live television streaming platform, Fubo and combining it with Hulu + Live TV business.
Today, Fubo has announced that the President of Disney+, Alisa Bowen, is going to move over to run Fubo as the chief executive officer of the Company, effective as of July 10th 2026, replacing David Gandler.
Alisa has been working at Disney for over ten years, where she has been in many roles, including most recently serving as president of Disney+. Previously, Bowen was a founding member of Disney’s Streaming Leadership team, spearheading the global vision, operational buildout and scaling of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
In a statement, Andy Bird, chairman of the Board, said:
“Following the combination with Hulu + Live TV last year, Fubo has reached a pivotal moment in its strategic evolution, with a compelling Pay TV platform, strong content portfolio and unique integration in the Disney ecosystem. Alisa’s appointment is the culmination of a thoughtful process led by the independent directors of the Board to find the next leader to advance Fubo’s strategy and performance. Alisa is a proven operator who brings nearly 30 years of product, digital and operational experience, including leadership across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. She has an established track record of driving global subscriber growth and profitability, and we look forward to benefiting from her experience and expertise as Fubo enters its next chapter.
On behalf of the Board, I want to thank David for his leadership and dedication to the Company. As a co-founder, David brought a pioneering vision and leadership that were instrumental in building Fubo into the platform it is today, leading the combination with Hulu + Live and providing a strong foundation for future growth. We appreciate all that he has done for the Company and wish him the best.”
Alisa Bowen also added:
“I am excited to lead Fubo in its next phase as we sharpen its strategy across sports, news and entertainment, accelerate growth and drive profitability, while delivering even greater value to Fubo and Hulu + Live subscribers, our advertisers and our content partners. I look forward to working closely alongside this talented leadership team to strengthen Fubo as an industry leader and create significant value for all of our shareholders.”
David Gandler, also said in the statement:
“It has been an honor to lead Fubo since co-founding the Company, and I am incredibly proud of everything our team has accomplished over the past 11 years. We have built a dynamic streaming platform centered around innovative multichannel video programming distribution into one of the largest Pay TV providers in the United States. Today, Fubo has best-in-class programming partnerships, innovative service offerings and preeminent live sports and entertainment content and is well positioned for the future. I look forward to following the Company’s continued growth and success in the months and years ahead.”
It’s not yet clear if Disney+ will be getting a replacement president, since the company has shuffled around its streaming service business ahead of the eventual merger of Hulu and Disney+, which is currently run by Joe Earley, who is the president, direct-to-consumer at Disney Entertainment, where he oversees both Disney+ and Hulu,
This deal is subject to approval by the Board following the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders on July 28, 2026. It is anticipated that Bowen also will be appointed to serve as a member of the Board. Gandler has resigned from the Board in accordance with the terms of his employment agreement and will no longer stand for election to the Board at the Annual Meeting.
Roger’s Take: This move might seem like an odd decision, to step down as the head of Disney+, to be moved over to Fubo, but in reality, this makes sense. Disney+ and Hulu are set to merge, so they are going to need to reduce the number of executives. But more importantly, this puts a Disney person at the head of Fubo, likely ahead of an eventual merger of Fubo and Hulu+Live TV, making the two companies even more intertwined.
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