Adam Smith has been named the chief product and technology officer of Disney Entertainment and ESPN, the company announced on Thursday. Under his new role, Smith will be responsible for overseeing the global product and technology group spanning across the entertainment and sports media business ventures at the company. Responsibilities in the position will include driving technology strategy, development and execution, along with continuing innovation across the oeuvre of consumer digital touchpoints, advertising technology, emerging technologies and additional areas.
Within the auspices of the position, he will be leading a group of technology professionals, some of whom include engineers, product managers, data scientists, technical operations teams and designers. Smith will officially join the company in this capacity on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and he will report to Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, along with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
“We could not be more thrilled to have Adam join the Disney team in this pivotal role,” the three Disney chairpeople 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 at the center of the Disney experience.”
Smith joins the company after working at Google and YouTube for more than 20 years where he held various executive positions across divisions and helped both companies achieve their growth trajectory. While he was at YouTube, he helped build its music and premium offerings to more than 100 million subscribers and also had a stint leading global content and product across kids, sports, news and education. During his time with Google, he led the development and strategy for several key products, including Google Fiber, Google News and Google Scholar. Before his time with these companies, which are under the Alphabet, Inc. conglomerate, he worked with Random House/Bertelsmann.
“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,” Smith said in a statement. “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 succeeds Aaron LaBerge in the role of chief product and technology officer at a time when the company is expanding its direct-to-consumer offerings. LaBerge joined PENN Entertainment as its chief technology officer in July, helping to drive its technology and serve as the key business leader within the interactive division. PENN Entertainment currently operates ESPN BET under a 10-year deal with the network reportedly worth $2 million.
Pending a court ruling, The Walt Disney Company will launch Venu Sports with FOX Corporation and Warner Bros. Discovery, a joint streaming venture in which it has reportedly invested $400 million. ESPN also plans to launch its Flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service in the fall of 2025 as its pay TV distribution stands at 66.5 million households, according to data from Nielsen Media Research.
