Joe Earley: Last News

Disney’s streaming bundle combining Hulu and Disney+ in one service officially launched Wednesday morning, ending a three-month beta period described by the company as a success.

K.J. Yossman Sky exec Karl Holmes has been tapped to lead Disney+ EMEA. Holmes, who will take on the role from January, will be based in Londo.

Sky finance boss Karl Holmes is to run Disney+ in EMEA.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor LAS VEGAS – The Walt Disney Co. showcased its investments in cutting-edge advertising technology on Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show, with top executives talking up the company’s enhanced ablity to serve marketers across linear and streaming platforms around the world. “2023 was Disney’s biggest year in our history for investments in ad technology, including theglobal expansion of Disney+ with ads,” said Rita Ferro, Disney’s president of global advertising, told the crowd at the Cosmpolitan hotel.

Hulu has promoted Lauren Tempest To General Manager, from her previous role as SVP of Content Partnerships, Acquisitions and Scheduling.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Lauren Tempest, an eight-year Hulu veteran, has been appointed general manager of the Disney-controlled streamer, assuming business responsibility for the streaming service, effective immediately. Tempest takes over the leadership spot at Hulu after Joe Earley, formerly Hulu’s president, was promoted to president of direct-to-consumer, Disney Entertainment this spring.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Hulu is launching a new sub-brand focused on adult animation and anime called Animayhem, Variety has learned exclusively. The new hub is meant to capitalize on Hulu’s already popular lineup of adult animation and anime shows. Series like “American Dad,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Family Guy,” “Futurama” and “King of the Hill” consistently rank among the service’s top 10 shows based on hours streamed, per Hulu. So far this year, over one billion hours of adult animation content has been streamed on Hulu, along with over 288 million hours of anime content, the streamer claims. “When you have the number one offering in adult animation and anime of any major streaming service, creating this destination is obvious. We know exactly where we can meet these fans, because they’re already here,” said Barrie Gruner, Hulu’s executive vice president of marketing and publicity, in an interview with Variety.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Jerrell Jimerson, Disney Streaming’s chief product officer and one of the architects of Disney+, has been let go as part of the media conglomerate’s latest round of layoffs, Variety has learned. Jimerson on Wednesday sent a note to his team at Disney Streaming telling them that “after five incredible years at Disney, I will be leaving the company at the end of June.” Disney is laying off some 4,000 employees across the company this week, part of its previously announced target of cutting 7,000 jobs to reduce costs. As chief product officer and EVP of product and design for Disney Streaming, Jimerson has overseen all aspects of product, user experience and design for Disney’s direct-to-consumer video streaming businesses, including Disney+, Hulu and Star+.

Disney has a new streaming boss.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor In a shake-up of Disney’s streaming leadership ranks, the company is moving Hulu president Joe Earley into the role of president of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment effective immediately — succeeding Michael Paull, who is leaving Disney after six years. In the new role, Earley will lead Disney Entertainment’s streaming businesses including Disney+ and Hulu, reporting to co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden. A former longtime Fox exec, Earley joined Disney in 2019 as was instrumental in the launch of Disney+. In addition, Earley will continue as the top exec in charge of Hulu until the company identifies a replacement. Disney+ is led by president Alisa Bowen, who was elevated to the post last fall after overseeing global business operations for Disney’s streaming platforms.

Roadside Attractions following their release on the big screen can now be found on Hulu.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter New movies from Roadside Attractions, the independent production company behind “Judy,” “The Peanut Butter Falcon” and “Manchester by the Sea,” will arrive on Hulu after playing in theaters. Roadside Attractions inked a multi-year output deal with Hulu for its post-theatrical window — known as the pay one window — sooner bringing the company’s films to the streamer. Under the terms of the deal, Hulu will receive exclusive U.S. streaming rights to upcoming Roadside Attractions films including director Phyllis Nagy’s abortion drama “Call Jane,” starring Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver; and the feel-good “Gigi & Nate,” featuring Charlie Rowe, Marcia Gay Harden and Jim Belushi.

Thania Garcia Thanks to Hulu’s successful run as the streaming partner of Lollapalooza in 2021, the streaming giant is extending its collaboration with Live Nation to serve as the official streaming destination of three of C3 Presents’ biggest music festivals — Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits Music Festival, in both 2022 and 2023.This collaboration marks the first time that a platform has had streaming rights to all three live events. Select performances will be live-streamed exclusively to Hulu SVOD subscribers at no additional cost.

Music fans looking for the streaming outlet for some of their favorite music festivals no longer have to ask, “Who do?” The answer is Hulu.

High school can’t last forever. Love, Victor is coming to an end — but there’s still one last adventure to be had before graduation. 

Hulu is taking rights to popular streaming title Schitt’s Creek, with all six seasons of the comedy series shifting over from Netflix this fall.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorEmmy-winning comedy series “Schitt’s Creek” will cycle off Netflix in the U.S. later this year, to become available exclusive on Disney’s Hulu.Hulu announced that it will be the dedicated subscription video on-demand destination for “Schitt’s Creek” in the U.S.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor“Love, Victor” is headed to Disney+, after all.The coming-of-age series, based on the queer teen romantic drama “Love, Simon,” was originally developed for the streamer, but was pushed to Hulu after executives worried that certain issues on the show, including teen sexuality and alcohol use, weren’t a right fit for Disney+.Now, the third and final season, as well as Seasons 1 and 2, will be available on Disney+ as well as on Hulu beginning on June 15.“We are proud of ‘Love, Victor’ and are excited to bring it to the widest possible audience on June 15 by making the full series available on both Disney+ and Hulu to celebrate the final season and LGBTQIA+ Pride Month,” Hulu president Joe Earley said in a statement on Tuesday. “In addition to highlighting this groundbreaking series, this will give subscribers a chance to sample more content that is available across our streaming services as we have done with titles like the Academy Award-winning ‘Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),’ ‘Man in the Arena: Tom Brady’ and ‘black-ish.’” The 10-episode premiere season, focusing on Victor (Michael Cimino), a new student at Creekwood High School juggling home life and questions about his sexual orientation, debuted on Hulu in June 2020.

EXCLUSIVE: For the second consecutive year in a row, the GLAAD Media Awards will count on Hulu as its official streaming partner. The streamer will air highlights from the LGBTQ awards show—taking place in Los Angeles on April 2— beginning on April 16.

Hulu will offer its live TV bundle subscribers unlimited DVR capacity at no extra charge starting April 13.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorHulu is finally getting competitive with YouTube TV on the DVR front: The Disney-controlled streamer next month will unlock a new Unlimited DVR feature for all Hulu + Live TV subscribers for no additional fee.On April 13, Hulu will introduce Unlimited DVR for live TV customers available across the entire lineup of 80-plus channels, including broadcast networks ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox.Hulu’s upcoming Unlimited DVR — which will let customers store an unlimited number of live TV recordings for up to nine months — lets it match Google’s YouTube TV, which has offered unlimited cloud-based DVR storage for no extra cost since it debuted in 2017.The move follows Hulu’s bundling of Disney Plus and ESPN Plus with Hulu + Live TV subscriptions as of December (alongside an $5 monthly price hike). Hulu’s live TV service is $69.99/month (with ads in the subscription VOD content) or $75.99/month (no SVOD ads).