The Walt Disney Company Names YouTube Alum Adam Smith as Its New Chief Product & Technology Officer, Disney Entertainment and ESPN

The Walt Disney Company Names YouTube Alum Adam Smith as Its New Chief Product & Technology Officer, Disney Entertainment and ESPN He takes over the role, previously held by Aaron LaBerge on September 3 By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital

Friday, August 16, 2024 - 9:58 am

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A big hire was announced on Thursday evening as The Walt Disney Company named Adam Smith as Chief Product & Technology Officer, Disney Entertainment and ESPN.

Smith takes the helm beginning on September 3 to oversee a global Product and Technology group spanning Disney's entertainment and sports media businesses. He will be responsible for driving technology strategy across the entire company's streaming platforms and networks, portfolio of consumer digital touchpoints, proprietary advertising technology, emerging technologies, and more.

We could not be more thrilled to have Adam join the Disney team in this pivotal role, Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a joint statement. We've been aggressive in advancing our technological capabilities to better support our world-class media, streaming and advertising businesses, and Adam brings a bold, consumer-focused vision for the future and a proven ability to effectively lead global teams in implementing ambitious, scalable and flexible products and technology that will continue to elevate storytelling as the center of the Disney experience.

Coming over from YouTube, where he most recently served as Vice President, Product Management since 2016, Smith takes over the position following the June exit of Aaron LaBerge, who shifted to CTO and head of online-sports-betting company Penn Entertainment, which last year struck a major deal with ESPN to rebrand Penn's business from Barstool Sportsbook to ESPN Bet.

Disney has built and nurtured an unparalleled portfolio of brands bringing joy and delight to fans of all ages, thanks to a culture of creativity that embraces innovation, said Smith. I believe Disney is uniquely positioned to thrive in the next evolution of media and has made significant progress in a very short time while keeping storytelling front and center. I look forward to working closely with Alan, Dana and Jimmy and their top-notch teams and am excited to bring my expertise in utilizing technology to build compelling consumer experiences that will drive engagement and discovery among fans, families and friends.

Smith will oversee a global Product and Technology group spanning Disney's entertainment and sports media businesses. He is now tasked with driving technology strategy, development, deployment and continued innovation across the company's streaming platforms and networks, portfolio of consumer digital touchpoints, proprietary advertising technology, emerging technologies and more.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/08/16/the-walt-disney-company-names-y...
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