By Rosemary
The Walt Disney Company has begun a new round of layoffs expected to eliminate roughly 1,000 positions, marking one of the first major restructuring moves under its recently appointed chief executive, Josh D’Amaro. The job cuts, which commenced Tuesday, span multiple divisions as the entertainment giant seeks to streamline operations and adapt to rapid shifts in the global media landscape.
D’Amaro, who took over leadership earlier this year from Bob Iger, informed employees of the decision in an internal memo, outlining a broader strategy aimed at increasing efficiency and positioning the company for long-term growth. The restructuring follows a January move to consolidate Disney’s marketing operations, signaling a continued effort to reduce redundancy and align business units more closely.
According to the company, the layoffs will affect a wide cross-section of its operations. Traditional television businesses, including ESPN, are among those impacted, reflecting ongoing pressure on linear TV as audiences continue to migrate toward streaming platforms. Disney’s film studio division will also see reductions, alongside teams in product development, technology, and corporate functions.
In his message to staff, D’Amaro emphasized the need for organizational agility in a rapidly evolving industry. He noted that the company has spent recent months evaluating how to optimize its structure while continuing to deliver the level of creativity and innovation that defines the Disney brand. The changes, he said, are part of a broader effort to build a more technologically advanced workforce capable of meeting future demands.
The layoffs represent the latest chapter in Disney’s ongoing transformation as it navigates declining cable revenues, intensifying competition in streaming, and shifting consumer habits. The company previously undertook a significant workforce reduction in 2022, shortly after Iger returned for a second tenure as CEO, cutting approximately 8,000 jobs as part of a cost-saving initiative. As of late 2025, Disney employed about 230,000 people globally.
D’Amaro, a longtime Disney executive who joined the company in 1998, previously led its highly profitable parks, experiences, and products division. His elevation to CEO was widely seen as a signal that Disney intends to balance its legacy media operations with growth areas such as theme parks, digital platforms, and technology-driven content distribution.
The latest cuts come amid a broader wave of contraction across Hollywood, as major studios grapple with economic uncertainty and structural changes in the entertainment business. Industry-wide, companies are reassessing spending, scaling back production pipelines, and reducing headcount in response to softer advertising markets and the high costs associated with building and maintaining streaming services.
Other major players have undertaken similar measures. Paramount Skydance has reportedly cut around 2,000 jobs following its takeover by David Ellison, who has indicated further layoffs could accompany a proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, pending regulatory and shareholder approval. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Entertainment recently announced plans to eliminate hundreds of positions as part of its own cost-reduction strategy.
For Disney, the restructuring underscores the challenges facing even the most established names in entertainment as the industry undergoes a fundamental transformation. While the company continues to invest heavily in streaming and global franchises, it is also under pressure to maintain profitability and deliver returns to investors in an increasingly competitive and fragmented market.
The current round of layoffs, though smaller in scale than previous cuts, signals a continued focus on efficiency and strategic realignment under D’Amaro’s leadership. As Disney reshapes its workforce and operations, the company is attempting to position itself for a future where digital distribution, technological innovation, and global audience engagement play an ever more central role in determining success.
Original article
Comments