Fubu Change-o: Disney Swaps In One Of Its Own As CEO, Replacing Co-Founder David Gandler

Disney, which took 70% control of streaming pay-TV provider Fubo last October, has installed one of its own execs, Alisa Bowen, to run the business.

David Gandler, who co-founded the company in 2015 and ran it as CEO, has been replaced by Alisa Bowen. A 10-year Disney veteran, Bowen had most recently been president of Disney+.

The takeover of Fubo resulted from a settlement of an antitrust lawsuit filed by Fubo in 2025 when Disney attempted to launch sports streaming venture Venu with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery. With his pugnacious, buccaneering management style, Gandler was not typical casting for a Disney executive, however. Since launching Fubo, he often criticized deeper-pocketed rivals, saying they could afford to operate their businesses far differently than Fubo.

The sudden nature of the move – Bowen officially starts in her new role on Friday – suggests a degree of friction between the parties.

“The Disney culture didn’t match,” one industry source told Deadline. “David was frustrated with what seemed to be Disney’s almost intention to not grow the vMVPD business.”

Combined, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV entered 2026 with 6.2 million subscribers, though they still trail well behind YouTube TV among streaming packagers of live TV. With more than 10 million subscribers and cable rivals Comcast and Charter fading, YouTube TV is poised to become the No. 1 operator in the coming quarters.

Under the terms of the settlement and acquisition of the stake, Fubo has continued operating as a separate, stand-alone company. It recently completed a reverse stock split, a maneuver generally reserved for companies looking to revive ailing share prices amid the risk of a potential de-listing. The stock has not reacted to the CEO news in after-hours trading, remaining close to its closing level of $9.56.

Bowen was a founding member of Disney’s streaming leadership team, helping to launch and scale Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, with the latter recently coming under Disney’s full control. Prior to joining Disney, Bowen held exec posts at News Corp, Dow Jones and Thomson Reuters.

Strategically, it will be interesting to see where Bowen takes Fubo. After Hulu’s pay-TV arm launched in 2017, it grew steadily but then plateaued. For several years after Disney assumed operational control of Hulu as part of the 21st Century Fox acquisition in 2018, Hulu + Live TV remained in the 4 million subscriber range.

More broadly, the virtual MVPD sector, apart from YouTube TV, has struggled. Early upstart PlayStation Vue shuttered. Sling TV, launched by Dish as an early player, has declined markedly. DirecTV, now privately held, has begun to re-emphasize its streaming bundle after years of erratic messaging from former corporate parent AT&T. When streaming pay-TV started in the 2010s, the packages were referred to as “skinny bundles.” That coinage quickly grew antiquated as programming costs necessitated steady price increases. Fubo has not been immune from the pricing pressure, clashing with a number of major programmers, resulting in long-term blackouts of channels owned by WBD and other big players.

“Following the combination with Hulu + Live TV last year, Fubo has reached a pivotal moment in its strategic evolution, with a compelling Pay TV platform, strong content portfolio and unique integration in the Disney ecosystem,” said Andy Bird, chairman of Fubo’s board, said in a statement. “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. 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 said she looked forward to leading 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.”

Bird extended thanks to Gandler on behalf of the board.

“As a co-founder, David brought a pioneering vision and leadership that were instrumental in building Fubo into the platform it is today, leading the combination with Hulu + Live and providing a strong foundation for future growth,” he said. “We appreciate all that he has done for the Company and wish him the best.”

Gandler called it an “honor” to lead Fubo, which he said is “well positioned for the future.” In addition to stepping away from the CEO post, the exec is also leaving the Fubo board.