Content app leader TikTok has tapped former Disney streaming boss Kevin Mayer as its new CEO. Mayer will also earn COO stripes at Chinese parent company Bytedance. The ex-Disney strategist oversaw the launch of the extremely successful Disney+ and was considered by many to be the leading candidate to replace Disney CEO Bog Iger.
Under Mayer's supervision, Disney+ earned 50m subscribers within its first five months. He'll report to Bytedance founder and CEO Zhang Yiming.
TikTok recently surpassed 2 billion downloads, following its record-setting Q1 in 2020 where it racked up 315m new installs. The content explosion within the app has led to TikTok becoming a true catalyst for hit songs and music discovery within the last year.
