Streaming executive behind Disney+ to become new TikTok CEO
Walt Disney Co’s top streaming executive, Kevin Mayer, will leave the entertainment and theme parks giant to become the chief executive officer of TikTok, the popular video app owned by China’s ByteDance, the companies said on Monday.
Mayer led the successful launch of the Disney+ streaming service in November but in February was passed over as Disney’s new chief executive.
pass over
to ignore or not give attention to someone or something
忽略，对…不予考虑
例句：
The woman alleges that her employers passed her over for promotion because she was pregnant.
这个妇女声称，由于她怀孕了，老板根本没有考虑她的提升问题。
Mayer’s appointment will be effective 1 June, when he will also become chief operating officer of ByteDance, the Chinese company said.
TikTok, which allows users to create short videos with special effects, has become wildly popular with US teenagers doing viral challenges that pair dances with music clips from the app’s library. TikTok has hinted at ambitions to build a music streaming business, announcing in January that it was partnering with the UK-based music rights agency Merlin to expand its musical selections.
ByteDance’s Chinese ownership, however, has sparked concerns in Washington about TikTok’s handling of personal data. The company uses sophisticated artificial intelligence to make video recommendations based on users’ behavior on the app.
spark
to cause the start of something, especially an argument or fighting
引起，导致，触发（尤指争论或打斗）
例句：
This proposal will almost certainly spark another countrywide debate about immigration.
这项提议很可能会再一次在全国范围内引起关于移民的争论。
The recent interest-rate rises have sparked new problems for small businesses.
近期利率的上调给小型企业带来了新问题。
The visit of the G20 leaders sparked off (= caused the start of) mass demonstrations.
G20国家领导人的到访引发了大规模示威游行。
In November, the US government launched a national security review of ByteDance’s $1bn acquisition of social media app Musical.ly, which became TikTok under ByteDance’s leadership. Two senators have introduced a bill to ban federal employees from using TikTok on government-issued phones.
To appease those concerns, ByteDance has stepped up efforts to separate TikTok from much of its Chinese businesses and has made several high-profile executive hires in recent months. It appointed Erich Andersen, the former Microsoft intellectual property chief, as global general counsel in January, after hiring Vanessa Pappas, a veteran YouTube executive, to run its US operations last year.
Speculation over Mayer’s future began swirling in February after Disney named Robert Chapek as chief executive officer. Mayer was seen as a dealmaker who had only recently been put in charge of a large profit-and-loss division. His relative lack of operating experience was a main reason he did not get the top job, the former executive said.
A ByteDance spokesman said the company had “no reservations” about Mayer’s operational experience. “Any company in our sector would be delighted have him onboard.”
Chapek praised Mayer in a statement on Monday, saying he “has done a masterful job of overseeing and growing our portfolio of streaming services, while bringing together the creative and technological assets required to launch the hugely successful Disney+ globally”.
Under Mayer’s leadership, Disney+ signed up more than 50 million subscribers in five months.
Disney named Rebecca Campbell, a 23-year company veteran, to replace Mayer as head of the direct-to-consumer and international division, which includes the streaming media units Disney is counting on to drive future growth.
count on sth
to expect something to happen and make plans based on it
期望；指望；料想到
例句：
[ + -ing verb ] I'm counting on the meeting ending on time, or I'll miss my bus.
我指望会议准时结束，否则我就要错过公车了。
Sorry I'm late, I didn't count on being held up in the traffic.
对不起，我迟到了，我没想到路上会堵车。
coun on sb
to be confident that you can depend on someone
依靠…；指望…
例句：
You can always count on Michael in a crisis.
在危急关头你总能依靠迈克尔。
[ + to infinitive ] I can count on my parents to help me.
我可以指望父母来帮我。
