Disney+ Executive Dan Silver Leaving for Netflix

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Dan Silver, VP of nonfiction originals at Disney+, has left the streamer for a new position with Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

  • Silver spent the past year as VP of nonfiction originals at Disney+ but will now serve as director of documentary feature films at Netflix.
  • There, he will report to Lisa Nishimura, VP of independent film and documentary features.
  • Silver spearheaded development on several successful Disney+ unscripted projects, including:
    • The Imagineering Story
    • Howard
    • Encore
    • Muppets Now
    • Marvel's 616 
    • And the upcoming On Pointe
  • Prior to moving to Disney+, Silver served as a head of platforms and content/new media at Marvel Entertainment.
  • In that position he oversaw nonfiction content including Marvel Live! Eat the Universe and the podcast Wolverine: The Long Night.
  • Before that, Silver was an executive producer at ABC News Digital and a senior director of development at ESPN Films.
  • During his time with ESPN, worked on 30 for 30 and executive produced the film The Queen of Katwe.
  • Silver’s exit comes in the midst of Disney’s massive reorganization with a focus on streaming content.
  • Due to the reorganization, Silver had gone from reporting to content president Ricky Strauss, to Disney Channel president Gary Marsh and then to executive VP creative of development and strategy Ayo Davis in the past month.

More on Disney’s reorganization:

  • Under the new structure, Disney’s world-class creative engines will focus on developing and producing original content for the Company’s streaming services, as well as for legacy platforms, while distribution and commercialization activities will be centralized into a single, global Media and Entertainment Distribution organization.
  • The new Media and Entertainment Distribution group will be responsible for all monetization of content – both distribution and ad sales – and will oversee operations of the Company’s streaming services.
  • The Media and Entertainment Distribution group will be headed by Kareem Daniel, formerly President, Consumer Products, Games and Publishing.
  • It will also have sole P&L accountability for Disney’s media and entertainment businesses.
  • The creation of content will be managed in three distinct group – Studios, General Entertainment, and Sports – headed by current leaders Alan F. Horn and Alan Bergman, Peter Rice, and James Pitaro.
  • All five leaders will report directly to Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company.