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Disney Appoints Jimmy Zasowski to Lead Platform Distribution

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Thursday, January 8th 2026 at 14:29 GMT by The Hollywood Reporter
      Locale: UNITED STATES

Burbank, CA - January 8th, 2026 - Disney today announced the appointment of Jimmy Zasowski as President of Platform Distribution, a newly created position signaling a continued strategic shift towards maximizing the profitability and reach of its streaming services - Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Zasowski, a seasoned media executive formerly of NBCUniversal and Comcast, will report directly to Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.

This move underscores the increasingly competitive landscape of streaming and Disney's ongoing efforts to solidify its position. While once focused primarily on subscriber growth, the company is now heavily focused on achieving consistent profitability for its direct-to-consumer offerings. The creation of this role - and the selection of a candidate with Zasowski's background - is a clear indication of this priority.

Zasowski arrives at Disney from NBCUniversal, where he served as Executive Vice President, Commercial Strategy. In that capacity, he was responsible for content distribution and the commercial strategy for NBCUniversal's portfolio of linear networks, the Spanish-language network Telemundo, and their streaming service, Peacock. His experience overseeing a competing platform gives him a unique insight into the challenges and opportunities facing Disney's streaming suite.

Prior to his time at NBCUniversal, Zasowski spent nearly two decades at Comcast in a variety of leadership roles. This lengthy tenure within Comcast provides him with a deep understanding of the infrastructure and complexities of content delivery across multiple platforms. His combined experience at Comcast and NBCUniversal demonstrates a breadth of knowledge spanning traditional television distribution and the rapidly evolving world of streaming.

Alan Bergman highlighted Zasowski's expertise in a company statement, noting, "Jimmy is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the media landscape. He has a track record of successfully navigating the evolving distribution environment and forging strong partnerships." This "forging strong partnerships" aspect is crucial. Disney, like its competitors, is increasingly exploring bundling options, potential joint ventures, and agreements with telecommunication companies to expand its reach and minimize customer churn.

The timing of Zasowski's appointment is significant. Disney recently implemented price increases for Disney+ and Hulu, a move designed to improve revenue per subscriber. However, these increases also carry the risk of subscriber loss, emphasizing the need for a sophisticated distribution strategy to retain existing customers and attract new ones. Zasowski will be central to mitigating these risks.

Analysts predict that Zasowski's initial focus will be on optimizing Disney's current distribution channels. This includes negotiating carriage deals with cable and satellite providers, expanding the availability of Disney+ and Hulu through digital platforms, and potentially exploring innovative distribution models like free, ad-supported streaming tiers (FAST channels) beyond what currently exists. He'll also likely be tasked with more tightly integrating Hulu and Disney+ content offerings, blurring the lines between the two services to provide a more compelling value proposition for consumers. The recent integration of Star into Disney+ internationally offers a glimpse of this potential direction.

Furthermore, the rapidly growing sports streaming market presents both an opportunity and a challenge for ESPN+. Zasowski's experience will be vital in securing distribution agreements for live sporting events and developing strategies to compete with rivals like FuboTV and YouTube TV. Successfully navigating this sector will be paramount to ESPN+'s future growth and financial performance.

Disney's streaming journey has been characterized by both significant successes and notable challenges. While Disney+ experienced explosive growth in its early years, the company has faced increasing competition from established players like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as well as newer entrants. Zasowski's appointment represents a strategic response to these challenges, a bet that his expertise will be instrumental in steering Disney's streaming services towards sustainable profitability and long-term growth.