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In August 2016, Disney acquired a minority stake in [[BAMTech]] (a [[corporate spin-off|spin-out]] of [[MLB Advanced Media]]'s streaming technology business) for $1 billion, with an option to acquire a majority stake in the future. Following the purchase, [[ESPN]] announced plans for an "exploratory [over-the-top] project" based on its technology ([[ESPN+]]) to supplant its existing linear television services.<ref name="variety-disneybam">{{Cite news |url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/disney-major-league-baseball-digital-deal-1201838818/ |title=What's Behind Disney's $1 Billion Investment in Major League Baseball's Digital Arm |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=August 18, 2016 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=December 18, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-disney-earnings-20160809-snap-story.html |title=Walt Disney Co. buys stake in video streaming service BAMTech |last=Miller |first=Daniel |date=August 9, 2016 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=August 17, 2016}}</ref> On August 8, 2017, Disney invoked its option to acquire a controlling stake in BAMTech for $1.58 billion, increasing its stake to 75%. Alongside the acquisition, the company also announced plans for a second, Disney-branded direct-to-consumer service drawing from its entertainment content, which would launch after the company ends its existing distribution agreement with [[Netflix]] in 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/marvel-and-star-wars-films-will-ditch-netflix-for-disney/ |title=Marvel and Star Wars films will ditch Netflix for Disney's own service |last=Gebhart |first=Andrew |date=September 7, 2017 |work=[[CNET]] |access-date=September 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907190259/https://www.cnet.com/news/marvel-and-star-wars-films-will-ditch-netflix-for-disney/ |archive-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/8/16115254/disney-launching-streaming-service-ending-netflix-deal |title=Disney to end Netflix deal and launch its own streaming service |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=August 8, 2017 |work=[[The Verge]] |access-date=April 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406102020/https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/8/16115254/disney-launching-streaming-service-ending-netflix-deal |archive-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref> Soon there after, Agnes Chu, story and franchise development executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, was the first appointed executive, senior vice president of content, for the unit.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://variety.com/2019/biz/features/disney-plus-streaming-plans-bob-iger-1203120734/ |title=Inside Disney's Daring Dive Into the Streaming World |last=Littleton |first=Cynthia |date=January 29, 2019 |work=Variety |access-date=August 28, 2019}}</ref>
In December 2017, Disney announced its [[Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney|intent to acquire key entertainment assets]] from [[21st Century Fox]]. Intended to bolster Disney's content portfolio for its streaming products,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/disney-fox-merger-deal-52-4-billion-merger-1202631242/ |title=Disney to Buy 21st Century Fox Assets for $52.4 Billion in Historic Hollywood Merger |last=Littleton |first=Cynthia |date=December 14, 2017 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=December 15, 2017 |last2=Steinberg |first2=Brian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-14/disney-buys-fox-assets-in-52-billion-breakup-of-murdoch-empire |title=Disney Buys Fox Assets in $52 Billion Split of Murdoch Realm |last=Sakoui |first=Anousha |date=December 14, 2017 |work=Bloomberg |access-date=December 15, 2017}}</ref> the acquisition
In January 2018, it was reported that former [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] and [[Samsung Electronics|Samsung]] executive Kevin Swint had been appointed as the senior vice president and general manager reporting to BAMTech CEO Michael Paull, who leads development.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/disney-svod-service-kevin-swint-hire-1202669637/ |title=Disney Hires Apple Veteran to Launch Its Netflix Killer |last=Roettgers |first=Janko |date=January 19, 2018 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=November 9, 2018}}</ref><ref name="hwr">{{Cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bamtech-taps-apple-veteran-lead-disney-ott-1076109 |title=BAMTech Taps Apple Veteran to Lead Disney OTT |last=Jarvey |first=Natalie |date=January 19, 2018 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=March 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074019/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bamtech-taps-apple-veteran-lead-disney-ott-1076109 |archive-date=March 10, 2018}}</ref> In March 2018, Disney's top level segment division was reorganized with the formation of Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, which then included BAMTech, which contains "all consumer-facing tech and products".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://kidscreen.com/2018/03/15/disney-reorganizes-forms-direct-to-consumer-unit/ |title=Disney reorganizes, forms Direct-to-Consumer unit |last=Whyte |first=Alexandra |date=March 15, 2018 |work=Kidscreen |access-date=August 28, 2019 |publisher=Brunico Communications}}</ref> In June 2018, longtime Disney studio marketing chief, Ricky Strauss, was named president of content and marketing, however reporting to chairman of Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International Kevin Mayer.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/disney-executive-reorganization-ricky-strauss-president-disney-svod-asad-ayaz-marketing-cathleen-taff-distribution-1202418954/ |title=Disney Exec Reorg: Asad Ayaz Named President Of Marketing As Ricky Strauss Moves To President For Studio's New SVOD Service |last=Busch |first=Anita |date=June 28, 2018 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=July 2, 2018}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/05/business/media/disney-streaming-service-ricky-strauss.html |title=Disney's Streaming Service Starts to Come Into Focus |last=Barnes |first=Brooks |date=August 5, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=August 13, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/71eW3mbxW?url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/05/business/media/disney-streaming-service-ricky-strauss.html |archive-date=August 13, 2018 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In January 2019, Fox Television Group COO Joe Earley was named executive vice president of marketing and operations.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/joe-earley-disney-1203102032/ |title=Joe Earley Named Disney+ Marketing Chief |last=Holloway |first=Dan |date=January 7, 2019 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=June 22, 2019}}</ref> In June 2019, Matt Brodlie was named as senior vice president of international content development.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2019/06/disney-netflix-matt-brodlie-streaming-disney-1202631723/ |title=Disney+ Hires Away Netflix Director Of Original Film Matt Brodlie For Key International Content Role |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=June 25, 2019 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=June 25, 2019}}</ref> In August 2019, Luke Bradley-Jones was hired as senior vice president of direct to consumer and general manager of Disney+ for Europe and Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/disney-sky-streaming-luke-bradley-jones-international-bundle-1202667865/ |title=Disney Hires Sky Exec Luke Bradley-Jones For Key International Streaming Role |last=White |first=Peter |last2=Wiseman |first2=Andreas |date=August 14, 2019 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=August 19, 2019}}</ref>
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