Lauren Tempest, an eight-year Hulu veteran, has been appointed general manager of the Disney-controlled streamer, assuming business responsibility for the streaming service, effective immediately.
Tempest takes over the leadership spot at Hulu after Joe Earley, formerly Hulu’s president, was promoted to president of direct-to-consumer, Disney Entertainment this spring. Tempest, who served as Hulu’s senior VP of content partnerships, acquisitions and scheduling since May 2022, will continue to report directly to Earley.
“As we enter our next, critical, phase of growth for Hulu, I can think of no one better to lead us through the evolution than Lauren,” Earley said in a statement. “Over the past eight years, she has proven to be an exceptional partner and leader, while continuing to deliver the most in-demand content to our subscribers. The relationships she has built internally and externally have helped propel us forward, which is why I, and teams across Disney Entertainment, are excited for her to officially step into this role.”
Tempest commented, “I have had the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated and passionate people during my time at Hulu, and I am excited to help lead and accelerate Hulu’s vision and strategy, particularly during such a major inflection point in the streaming industry.”
In her previous role at Hulu, Tempest oversaw Hulu’s content library, working with Disney content divisions including Disney Television Studios (20th Television, 20th Animation Television, ABC Signature), Hulu originals, FX, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures, to deliver the most in-demand titles to consumers. In that role, she also worked with the company’s third-party partners to acquire top subscription VOD titles, which recently included critically acclaimed and fan-favorite “Schitt’s Creek.” During her tenure with that team, Tempest was part of the group that established a new strategic scheduling framework and drove partnerships with Disney content brands as they launched tentpole titles like “The Bear” and “Prey.”
Tempest is based in Los Angeles where she joined Hulu in 2015, after six years with NBCUniversal’s USA Network. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Bates College in Maine.
Currently, Disney owned a 67% stake in Hulu with Comcast holding the remaining 33%. The companies are in the midst of haggling over the value of Comcast’s share in Hulu with a January 2024 deadline. Under the terms of their 2019 agreement, Comcast’s Hulu stake is worth a minimum of $9.2 billion — but Comcast is trying to get a bigger payout from Disney.
