Disney Targets 1,000 Roles in Latest Cost-Cutting Drive

Key Moments

Walt Disney’s new CEO Josh D’Amaro told employees that approximately 1,000 jobs will be cut as part of an operational streamlining effort.
The reductions are set to impact marketing, studio and television operations, ESPN, products and technology, and selected corporate functions.
The move follows a 2023 restructuring in which Disney planned 7,000 job cuts tied to $5.5 billion in cost savings.

Leadership Drives New Restructuring Initiative

LOS ANGELES, April 14 (Reuters) – Walt Disney’s newly appointed chief executive, Josh D’Amaro, has outlined a new round of layoffs in an internal email to staff on Tuesday, describing the move as part of an effort to make the company more efficient.

A person familiar with the matter said the company intends to eliminate about 1,000 positions. The email, seen by Reuters, detailed the rationale behind the reductions.

Scope of the Job Cuts Across Business Units

According to the source, the latest cuts will primarily affect the marketing organization, which underwent a reorganization in January. Additional reductions will reach other parts of the enterprise, including its studio and television operations, ESPN, products and technology teams, as well as certain corporate roles.

Disney began notifying affected employees this week, the person said.

Area Impacted	Details
Marketing	Group reorganized in January and now facing additional layoffs
Studio and Television	Selected positions to be eliminated
ESPN	Included in the latest round of job cuts
Products and Technology	Roles to be reduced as part of streamlining
Corporate Functions	Certain corporate positions affected

Management Rationale and Internal Messaging

In his message to employees, D’Amaro framed the decision as a response to rapid shifts across the sectors in which Disney operates.

“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,” D’Amaro wrote in an email seen by Reuters. “As a result, we will be eliminating roles in some parts of the company.”

Industry Pressures and Recent History of Layoffs

Disney is moving to adapt its cost structure as it confronts several industry headwinds, including a weakening television business, pressure on box office performance, and rising competitive intensity. Other major entertainment companies, including Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Skydance, have also carried out layoffs in response to similar pressures.

The company’s last major wave of job reductions occurred in 2023, when Disney said it would trim 7,000 positions in pursuit of $5.5 billion in cost savings. At that time, the company was confronting demands from activist investor Nelson Peltz to enhance financial results and address losses in its streaming operations.