Disney fires up international content strategy with management shuffle and hub plans

The Walt Disney Company has launched an international content creation hub. According to a statement by Disney, the hub will support the ongoing expansion of the company's direct-to-consumer business around the world, as well as fuel the expanding pipeline of local and regional content for its streaming services.

With this in mind, Rebecca Campbell has been appointed to lead the hub in her newly expanded role as chairman, international content and operations. Campbell will be responsible for expanding the international content creation pipeline, amplifying the company’s localised content strategy.

She will continue to oversee Disney's teams in Asia Pacific, EMEA, India and Latin America who manage the company’s international linear channels, regional streaming, local ad sales, and local distribution.

Campbell previously served as chairman, international operations and direct-to-consumer, after holding senior leadership roles across Disney’s media, international and parks businesses during a nearly 25-year tenure.

The appointment of Campbell comes as the company saw a slowdown in Disney+ subscribers in its fourth quarter last year as movement restrictions started easing globally. Disney also said that it would be investing in the creation of original localised content be streamed. Moreover, the brand continues faces intense competition from the likes of HBO and Netflix, which are also ramping up their content creation. Most recently Netflix said it would double down on its Korean content, as it found immense success following Squid Game and Hellhound. It said that it would release 25 Korean films and series this year.

In Asia, Disney+ is doubling down on local content with 20 new local APAC content titles, including 18 originals done in collaboration with content creators from Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Greater China, Australia and New Zealand. This comes as part of Disney's ambition to greenlight over 50 APAC originals by 2023. The company will also launch a significant slate of premium branded entertainment on the Disney+ platform in the coming years, including content from its global brand franchises, general entertainment content from Star and local language originals from the APAC region. The Star brand was introduced during the virtual APAC content showcase today.

Luke Kang, president of The Walt Disney Company, APAC, said that it will combine the global resources of the company with the best content creators in the APAC region to develop and produce original stories on Disney+. Among the list of new titles to be launched include Twisted Wonderland, Susah Sinyal, Tokyo MER, Rookies, Grid and Snowdrop. Meanwhile, the brand also expanded into markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea late last year. 

Additionally, Disney has made several key executive appointments to its Disney media and entertainment distribution (DMED) segment.  Michael Paull, formerly head of Disney+ and ESPN+, has been promoted to the newly-created role of president, Disney streaming. In his new role, Paull will be accountable for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and Star+, and will oversee these platforms globally for DMED

Paull joined Disney in 2017 as part of the acquisition of Bamtech Media, where he served as CEO. He and his team have been central to Disney's pivot into the direct-to-consumer space, launching ESPN+ in 2018, followed by the launch and rapid global expansion of Disney+ in 2019, and the launch of Star+ in Latin America in August 2021.  Rusell Wolff has been appointed to take over the role as head of ESPN+, while Disney has yet to name a new head of Disney+. At the same time Joe Earley has been named president of Hulu, and will also report directly to Paull.

Since the launch of Disney+ in late 2019, Disney's streaming business has expanded rapidly, with 179 million total subscriptions across Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu as of the end of fiscal 2021. Disney plans to more than double the number of countries Disney+ is in to over 160 by fiscal 2023. Disney is also investing significantly in the creation of original local and regional content for its streaming services, with more than 340 titles already in various stages of development and production. 

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