Disney Ups Bob Chapek to Distribution President

11 Nov, 2009 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, has been promoted to president of distribution for Walt Disney Studios.

The studio, under direction of new chairman Rich Ross, is restructuring internal operations, including marketing and distribution, in the wake of the resignation two months ago of former chairman Dick Cook.

Disney said it will soon appoint a new president of marketing for live-action, animation, Miramax Films, DreamWorks and home entertainment.

“Under this reorganization, Bob Chapek will take on the new role of president, distribution, The Walt Disney Studios, and will be responsible for developing distribution strategy and overseeing the delivery of all motion pictures and television content, across the theatrical exhibition, home entertainment, pay TV, digital formats, and other new media,” the studio said in a statement.

Chapek became worldwide president of Walt Disney Home Entertainment three years ago and has spent nearly a decade running the studio's domestic home entertainment operations.

The veteran executive was a strong intial supporter of Blu-ray Disc and has been instrumental in ensuring the industry’s smooth transition to high-definition packaged media and digital distribution.

Specifically, Chapek actively pushed to re-release Disney’s vaunted animated catalog and family titles on Blu-ray, including the Platinum Collection featuring Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  

Many of the releases include the studio’s BD Live network, which offers a variety of Web-enabled features such as chat rooms and video messaging.

The executive also championed distribution of Disney titles via electronic sellthrough and rental on iTunes and most recently Sony’s PlayStation Network.

 Chapek also has been chairman of DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group since 2007 — only the second chairman in the 13-year-old organization’s history.

“Bob Chapek has been at the forefront of new technology for many years, and has the expertise and track record to guide and consolidate our future distribution efforts,” Ross said. “The way today’s audiences and consumers experience our movies, home entertainment, and other multiplatform programming is rapidly changing as new technology offers more options than ever before.”

 

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