The Walt Disney Company has started a large wave of layoffs. According to reports, this round affects hundreds of employees. It targets multiple departments under Disney Entertainment, including marketing for both film and TV.
Cuts Go Beyond Marketing
Besides marketing teams, the layoffs also hit staff in TV publicity, casting, development, and corporate financial operations. Sources told Deadline that the number of job losses on both the film and TV sides is about the same.
Most Staff Affected Are Based in Los Angeles
Many of the impacted employees reportedly work at Disney Entertainment Television in Los Angeles. This marks the fourth round of layoffs in the past ten months. However, it is also the biggest so far.
Disney Restructures to Cut Costs
These layoffs are part of Disney’s ongoing efforts to cut costs. The company, like others in traditional media, is shifting its focus to streaming. At the same time, it is trying to deal with economic challenges.
Iger’s Goal: Save $7.5 Billion
When Bob Iger returned as CEO in early 2023, he set a bold goal. He aimed to cut $7.5 billion in costs. That year, the company eliminated about 7,000 jobs.
Earlier Layoffs in March and October
In March, Disney laid off around 200 people. That round impacted almost 6% of the staff at ABC News and networks like Freeform and FX.
Before that, in October, Disney shut down ABC Signature. Its operations moved to 20th Television. The company also merged scripted drama and comedy teams for ABC and Hulu Originals. That restructuring led to around 30 more job cuts.
Lower-Level Executives Also Impacted
This latest round has also affected lower-ranking staff. Deadline reported that a manager of drama programming at ABC Hulu lost their job too.
