By Joe Flint

Walt Disney Co. said it is reorganizing its operations to give priority to its streaming video businesses, creating new units that will produce content for digital and traditional platforms, in a shift that echoes similar moves by other entertainment giants.

Under the new structure, Disney is creating content groups for its major film franchises, general entertainment and sports, as well as a distribution arm that will determine the best platform for a movie or television show.

"Our creative teams will concentrate on what they do best -- making world-class, franchise-based content -- while our newly centralized global distribution team will focus on delivering and monetizing that content in the most optimal way across all platforms, Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek said in a statement.

The new alignment pushes Disney's streaming platforms, including Disney+ and Hulu, even closer to the center of the company. The various programming arms, including movie and television studios, will be focusing their efforts on feeding those streaming services, not just movie theaters and TV networks.

Disney is the latest entertainment giant to attempt to reorient its businesses to separate decisions about what content is being made from which platform is best suited to run them. Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal has restructured much of its content business with this goal in mind and AT&T's WarnerMedia is also centralizing its creative operations. Both those companies are also giving priority to their new streaming services, Peacock and HBO Max, respectively.

The current heads of Disney's studio division, Disney Studios Co-Chairmen Alan Horn and Alan Bergman, will oversee the movie content arm. Peter Rice, who oversees TV production for Disney, will become chairman of general entertainment content, while ESPN head Jimmy Pitaro will head the sports unit and report to Mr. Chapek.

Write to Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

10-12-20 1637ET