Fox’s new streaming service names Pete Distad as CEO
Fox’s new streaming service names Pete Distad as CEO
The former chief executive of Venu Sports will assume the same role at Fox’s upcoming streamer.
Who says familiarity breeds contempt? For Fox, it’s just the opposite. The company is actively working on launching a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service, more than five years after exiting the Hulu joint venture between it, Disney, and Comcast. Since then, Fox hasn’t had a subscription video on-demand (SVOD) service of its own, but that will change in 2025. To head up its new streamer, Fox has turned to a name it knows very well: former Venu Sports CEO and Hulu SVP Pete Distad.
Key Details:
- Distad was tapped by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery to lead Venu in March 2024.
- The three companies decided to shut down Venu in early 2025.
- Distad has also worked at Apple TV+ and Hulu.
Fox has more than a passing familiarity with Distad. The executive was in charge of marketing and distribution at Hulu when Fox was still a co-owner and was first chosen to serve as the CEO for the Venu joint venture streamer by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery in March 2024, shortly after they announced their intentions to create the service.
Distad’s tenure overseeing Venu was both short and tumultuous. Almost immediately, Fubo jumped on Venu with an antitrust lawsuit, and was likely well on the way to winning that suit when Disney executives reached out with a plan to merge Fubo with Hulu + Live TV. Fubo accepted that proposal, but as part of their transaction Venu was shut down for good.
The deal between Fubo and Hulu + Live TV left Distad without a job, but not for long. In his new position with Fox, Distad will oversee all aspects of the new streaming platform, and will report directly to Tubi chief executive Paul Cheesbrough.
“Pete is a proven leader with deep experience in consumer products, and we’re thrilled to have him join the team to lead this new platform,” Cheesbrough said in a statement. “His track record of innovation, execution, and building world-class streaming products speaks for itself, and we’re confident that under his leadership, we will deliver a best-in-class service that showcases FOX’s premium content and brands.”
Since exiting Hulu, Tubi has been the only major streaming service under Fox’s corporate umbrella. The ad-supported streamer has proven to be very beneficial for the company, and Fox Nation — a lifestyle and entertainment streamer under the auspices of Fox News — is also gaining a following. With those successes under their belts, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch is finally ready to move forward with what will presumably be the company’s flagship service, and he has selected Distad to oversee it.
“I’m excited to bring FOX’s leading sports, news, and entertainment content to audiences outside the traditional pay TV bundle for the first time via an all-new streaming platform,” said Distad. “Working closely with our content, distribution, and platform partners, we’re going to build and grow a differentiated viewing experience for consumers to access their favorite FOX programming.”
Distad has plenty of experience in the streaming world. He was part of the team that got Hulu off the ground, and worked for that service from 2007 to 2013. He then spent years working at Apple, including years as an executive for the Apple TV+ streaming service.
Additional details regarding the Fox streaming service are still to come, but it will work to expand programming from Fox News, Fox Sports, and the Fox broadcasting network beyond the traditional cable bundle.
Hulu
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