Alisa Bowen Named President of Disney+

The Walt Disney Company named Alisa Bowen, president of Disney+ on Thursday. Bowen was previously executive vice president of business operations for Disney streaming, she will immediately take over as president.

The move comes as Disney+ is set to launch their new ad-supported tier, which Bowen will now lead and promote. she will also oversee new content for the streamer. She will continue reporting to Michael Paull, Disney’s president of direct-to-consumer division. Paull was previously the president of Disney+.

Disney+ officially announced the price and launch date for the ad-supported tier called Disney+ Basic, back in August. The new tier will launch in the U.S. on December 8 and will expand globally in 2023.

Disney+ Basic will run for $7.99/month. That’s the price of the current ad-free version of Disney+. Disney+ premium will be the tier with no ads and will now run at $10.99/month, a 38% increase from the $7.99/month plan. The ad-supported version of Disney+ will include all the same content that is available in the ad-free tier, although some titles may not run advertising, according to the company.

In a statement (via CNBC) Michael Paull said, “Alisa has been an indispensable member of our leadership team since the inception of Disney+. She possesses a rare and valuable combination of deep institutional knowledge, forward-thinking innovation, and global vision rooted in a strong focus on our consumer, that is perfectly suited for this critical role, and I am confident that she will have an immediate and positive impact on the business.”