Woke Disney Forced To Undergo Mass Layoffs

The Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday began a new round of layoffs expected to eliminate about 1,000 jobs across the company, hitting everything from legacy TV to the movie studio as the entertainment giant tries to slim down in a brutal, fast-changing market.

The cuts are expected to land across Disney’s traditional television businesses, including ESPN, along with its film studio. Employees in product and technology, plus certain corporate functions, are also expected to be affected.

Josh D’Amaro, who took over as CEO in February after succeeding Bob Iger, pointed to a push to streamline the operation after Disney moved in January to consolidate its marketing division.

The Walt Disney Company is preparing for one of the largest layoffs in its history.

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“Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney,” D’Amaro said in a memo to employees obtained by The Associated Press. “Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs.”

For Disney, it’s the latest sign the belt-tightening era is far from over. The company last went through a major layoff wave soon after Iger returned to the top job in 2022, when Disney cut about 8,000 positions. As of late 2025, Disney had roughly 230,000 employees.

D’Amaro, a longtime company executive who previously ran Disney’s lucrative parks division, has been with the company since 1998. Now he’s stepping into the corner office at a time when the old Hollywood business model is cracking, streaming is still expensive, and legacy TV continues to bleed.

Disney isn’t alone. Layoffs and contraction have rippled across the industry as studios chase cost savings and brace for slower growth. Paramount Skydance has cut about 2,000 jobs since David Ellison’s company took over, with Ellison acknowledging more reductions could follow if the planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery clears shareholders and regulators. Sony Pictures Entertainment also said last week it would eliminate hundreds of jobs.

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