Disney’s top streaming executive, Kevin Mayer is to become the chief executive officer of TikTok, the companies said on Monday.
Kevin Mayer led the successful launch of the Disney+ streaming service in November but in February was passed over as Disney’s new chief executive after Bob Iger left the role. The position instead went to Robert Chapek.
Mayer’s appointment will be effective June 1, when he will become CEO of the popular video app owned by China’s ByteDance Technology Co. He will also become chief operating officer of ByteDance.
Under Mayer’s leadership, Disney+ collected more than 50 million subscribers in five months. He also helped to seal the acquisitions of Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, and 21st Century Fox.
TikTok, which allows users to create short videos with special effects, has become wildly popular with U.S. teenagers doing viral challenges that pair dances with music clips from the app’s library.
TikTok has hinted at ambitions to build a music streaming business, announcing in January that it was partnering with U.K.-based music rights agency Merlin to expand its musical selections.
ByteDance’s Chinese ownership, however, has sparked concerns in Washington about TikTok’s handling of personal data. The company uses sophisticated artificial intelligence to make video recommendations based on users’ behavior on the app.
Kevin Mayer led the successful launch of the Disney+ streaming service in November but in February was passed over as Disney’s new chief executive
TikTok, which allows users to create short videos with special effects, has become wildly popular with U.S. teenagers doing viral challenges that pair dances with music clips
In November, the U.S. government launched a national security review of ByteDance’s $1 billion acquisition of social media app Musical.ly, which became TikTok. Two senators introduced a bill to ban federal employees from using TikTok on government-issued phones.
One of those senators, Republican Josh Hawley, said TikTok previously told him its executives could not testify before Congress because they were located in China.
‘But this new executive lives in the USA,’ Hawley wrote on Twitter on Monday. ‘I look forward to hearing from him. Under oath.’
To appease concerns, ByteDance has stepped up efforts to separate TikTok from much of its Chinese businesses and has made several high-profile executive hires in recent months.
It appointed former Microsoft intellectual property chief Erich Andersen as global general counsel in January, after hiring Vanessa Pappas, a veteran YouTube executive, to run its U.S. operations last year.
Mayer said Monday: ‘I was happy with my job at Disney. The magnitude of this opportunity was just something I couldn’t pass up.’
Disney CEO Bob Chapek said: ‘Kevin has had an extraordinary impact on our company over the years, most recently as head of our direct-to-consumer business.
Under Mayer’s leadership, Disney+ collected more than 50 million subscribers in five months
Disney named Robert Chapek, right, as chief executive officer, replacing Bob Iger, left
Speculation over Mayer’s future began swirling in February after Disney named Robert Chapek as chief executive officer.
Mayer, who has a ‘loud and forceful’ style, according to a former Disney executive, was seen as a dealmaker who had only recently been put in charge of a large profit-and-loss division.
His relative lack of operating experience was a main reason he did not get the top job, the former executive said.
A ByteDance spokesman said the company had ‘no reservations’ about Mayer’s operational experience. ‘Any company in our sector would be delighted have him onboard.’
Disney named Rebecca Campbell, a 23-year company veteran, to replace Mayer as head of the direct-to-consumer and international division, which includes the streaming media units Disney is counting on to drive future growth.
Disney named Rebecca Campbell, pictured, a 23-year company veteran, to replace Mayer as head of the direct-to-consumer and international division