Disney Hires YouTube Veteran Adam Smith In Key Tech Role for Entertainment and ESPN

Disney has made a significant hire meant to bolster its streaming efforts, with the company bringing on board Adam Smith as chief product and technology officer for Disney entertainment and ESPN.

Smith, who starts next month, will oversee the technology development and deployment in streaming, networks, advertising, production technologies and other digital touchpoints across Disney Entertainment and ESPN.

He will jointly report to Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, as well as ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

Smith as a 20-year veteran of Google and its YouTube subsidiary, most recently serving as VP of product management for YouTube, where he oversaw the video platform’s YouTube Music, YouTube Premium, subscription and commerce offerings.

The Disney job is a critical one for the company, which is seeking to establish itself as a leader in streaming. Disney CEO Bob Iger has said publicly that the company needs to enhance its technology and product to derive the maximum benefit from the content the company produces, and he has cited Netflix as the benchmark.

Smith will be tasked not only with developing and advancing the technologies for Disney+ and Hulu, but also helping develop the upcoming ESPN flagship streaming product, set for next year.

He succeeds Aaron LaBerge, who exited Disney earlier this year to become CTO of Penn Entertainment, where he is helping to build out the ESPN Bet platform.

“We could not be more thrilled to have Adam join the Disney team in this pivotal role,” said Walden, Bergman and Pitaro 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.” 

“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,” added 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.”