Hulu confirms CEO hire, Forssell to leave the company

US video-on-demand site Hulu has confirmed the appointment of Fox Networks executive Mike Hopkins as its new CEO.

In a statement, Hulu said that interim chief executive Andy Forssell, who has led the company since Jason Kilar’s departure in March, will leave the company.

The news comes a week after Hulu was reported to be close to appointing Hopkins, who has been a director on the Hulu board since 2011 and has served as president of distribution for Fox Networks Group, a division of 21st Century Fox, since 2008.

In an email to Hulu staff, Hopkins thanked Forssell for his “incredible work and tremendous leadership” and praised the team for its “engineering excellence and product development focus.”

“The fact is, through all the recent uncertainty not only have you kept this business together, but you’ve continued to deliver on every key performance metric. In fact, you are delivering one of the strongest years Hulu has ever seen: We expect revenues to be close to a billion dollars this year, and Hulu Plus subscribers continue to climb,” said Hopkins.

“With the foundation you have built, the significant capital infusion of three quarters of a billion dollars, and our partners aligned and fully supportive of what we need to get it done, the sky is the limit for Hulu. I am looking forward to working with you all.”

Commenting on Hopkins’ hire, Anne Sweeney, co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group – one of the co-owners of Hulu – said: “After an extensive search, Mike was simply the best candidate for the job. He has a strong understanding of programming, digital distribution and consumer behaviour, and a great vision for Hulu’s next chapter.”