Alisa Bowen takes Fubo helm as Hulu merger triggers strategy pivot

The appointment of a Disney veteran signals a transition from founder-led expansion to operator-led integration. By merging with Hulu + Live TV, Fubo has gained the scale required for tougher carriage negotiations, yet persistent channel gaps and device-specific feature limitations have led to recent subscriber churn. Successfully porting Fubo’s technical features into the Hulu environment could create a dominant sports-and-entertainment hybrid. If Bowen fails to resolve the ongoing content disputes with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery at sustainable rates, the platform risks losing its value proposition against YouTube TV's broader channel lineup. Watch for subscriber retention figures in the Q3 earnings report to gauge the impact of these technical and executive shifts.

The executive reshuffle of July 2026 follows a period of significant consolidation and conflict for Fubo. According to reports from Sportcal and Business Chief (July 2026), Disney now maintains a 70% majority stake in Fubo following the October 2025 merger with Hulu + Live TV. This transaction served to settle a high-profile 2025 antitrust lawsuit Fubo had initially filed against Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery regarding the Venu Sports joint venture. Outgoing CEO David Gandler, a co-founder who led the company for 11 years, notably resigned from the board in July 2026, with reports from Sportcal suggesting the quick exit stemmed from disagreements over investment levels in the streaming business.

Operationally, the service has struggled to maintain its content slate while resisting rising carriage fees. Per reports from Cord Cutters News (February 2026), Fubo dropped NBCUniversal networks in late 2025 after accusing the programmer of offering terms 'egregiously above' market rates. This blackout, combined with the continued absence of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Turner networks (TNT, TBS) since April 2024, has left Fubo without critical postseason sports coverage. To combat churn, Fubo implemented rare downward price adjustments in early 2026, slashing Pro and Elite plans by roughly $11 per month. Meanwhile, YouTube TV launched a competitive $54.99 'Sports Plan' in February 2026 to capitalize on Fubo’s content gaps, deepening the pressure on Alisa Bowen to stabilize the platform's library via Disney's broader corporate leverage.