Overview
- The rebrand was announced in an internal memo from Debra O’Connell and Ayo Davis and first reported by Deadline on Monday, June 15, 2026.
- Ayo Davis will continue to run the unit now called Disney Kids & Family and Disney says existing creative teams and projects will remain unchanged.
- Company leaders said the new name is meant to remove confusion caused by the old “Branded Television” label and to signal the division’s focus on children’s and family programming across Disney+, Disney Jr., Disney Channel, and digital platforms.
- The division has recent commercial and awards heft that underpins the move, including responsibility for three of the top five preschool streaming shows of 2025 per Nielsen and strong franchise performance with titles such as Bluey, Percy Jackson and Descendants.
- The rename follows O’Connell’s March elevation to chairman of U.S. Entertainment Television and updates a unit that was formed as Disney Branded Television in 2020 and led by Ayo Davis since 2021; the clearer name could streamline creator relations and franchise planning across Disney’s parks, products and music businesses.