Disney+ President Alisa Bowen will join Fubo on Friday as the sports streamer’s new CEO, succeeding co-founder David Gandler.
The move comes after Disney acquired a 70% stake in Fubo last year. The sports streamer is in the process of combining with the Hulu + Live TV business.
“I am excited to lead Fubo in its next phase as we sharpen its strategy across sports, news and entertainment, accelerate growth and drive profitability, while delivering even greater value to Fubo and Hulu + Live subscribers, our advertisers and our content partners,” Bowen said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely alongside this talented leadership team to strengthen Fubo as an industry leader and create significant value for all of our shareholders.”
Bowen was appointed as Disney+’s president in 2022. During her tenure, the streaming service has grown a total of 131.6 million subscribers. Disney, which no longer breaks out subscriber figures on a quarterly basis, has a total of 219.8 million when adding in Hulu and ESPN.
Before that, she served as Disney Streaming’s global business operations EVP, where she oversaw global content and business operations for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Star+, as well as senior vice president of digital media and chief technology officer of the company’s international operations, where she led a transformation of Disney’s channel broadcast technology, content operations and digital publishing across EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
Prior to joining Disney in 2017, Bowen served as CTO of News Corp Australia, where she was responsible for the digital transformation strategy, including the pivot to digital subscription business models and the launch of new digital advertising offerings. She has also held product, business operations and general management leadership positions at major media organizations.
“Alisa’s appointment is the culmination of a thoughtful process led by the independent directors of the Board to find the next leader to advance Fubo’s strategy and performance,” Fubo’s Board Chairman Andy Bird added. “Alisa is a proven operator who brings nearly 30 years of product, digital and operational experience, including leadership across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. She has an established track record of driving global subscriber growth and profitability, and we look forward to benefiting from her experience and expertise as Fubo enters its next chapter.”
Bowen will also be appointed to serve as a member of Fubo’s board, subject to approval during the company’s annual shareholder meeting on July 28. Gandler, who has resigned from the board in according with the terms of his employment agreement, will no longer stand election at the meeting.
Since 2015, Fubo has transformed from a niche player into the sixth largest pay TV provider in North America, which went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2020. As of its second quarter, Fubo reported a total of 5.7 million subscribers when combined with Hulu + Live TV.
“It has been an honor to lead Fubo since co-founding the Company, and I am incredibly proud of everything our team has accomplished over the past 11 years,” Gandler said in a statement. “We have built a dynamic streaming platform centered around innovative multichannel video programming distribution into one of the largest Pay TV providers in the United States. Today, Fubo has best-in-class programming partnerships, innovative service offerings and preeminent live sports and entertainment content and is well positioned for the future. I look forward to following the Company’s continued growth and success in the months and years ahead.”
As of Thursday’s close, Fubo shares have fallen 97% in the past five years, 77% in the past year and 69% year to date.
