Disney is preparing to implement significant layoffs affecting as many as 1,000 positions in the coming weeks, marking one of the first major operational shifts under its newly appointed chief executive officer, Josh D’Amaro, according to the Wall Street Journal. The cuts, which were in development prior to his leadership transition, reflect ongoing efforts to streamline the entertainment giant amid evolving market challenges and shifting revenue streams.
D’Amaro assumed the role of CEO in March 2026, succeeding Bob Iger after more than two decades with the company, including recent oversight of its highly profitable parks, experiences, and consumer products division. His appointment came at a time when Disney faced mounting pressure to revitalize growth and address stagnant stock performance. Shares of the company have declined sharply from their 2021 peak, hovering near levels seen a decade earlier, underscoring the expectations placed on the new leader to drive efficiency and long-term value.
The planned reductions target primarily the company’s recently consolidated marketing operations, which were unified earlier in the year under a single chief marketing officer to span entertainment, experiences, and sports segments. Additional impacts are anticipated from the ongoing merger of the Disney+ and Hulu streaming platforms into a single application, where staff combinations aim to eliminate redundancies. These moves build on broader restructuring initiatives, including “Project Imagine,” which focuses on breaking down traditional silos across divisions to foster faster collaboration and reduce overhead.
Disney employed approximately 231,000 people at the end of its 2025 fiscal year, with the vast majority—around 80 percent—working in the experiences segment that includes theme parks, cruises, and related consumer businesses. That division has continued to expand, contrasting with more constrained areas such as linear television, theatrical releases, and certain corporate functions. Previous rounds of workforce reductions since Iger’s return in 2022 have already eliminated more than 8,000 positions, largely within entertainment, ESPN, and administrative roles. The latest cuts continue this pattern while sparing growth-oriented segments.
Industry analysts point to several underlying pressures prompting the changes. Traditional cable television profits have eroded as audiences shift toward on-demand streaming, yet streaming services have delivered lower margins than anticipated. Box office returns have also softened in recent years, while competition intensifies from technology platforms such as Amazon and YouTube. In response, Disney has turned to external consultants, including Bain & Company, to identify opportunities for cost discipline and resource reallocation toward higher-potential digital initiatives.
The consolidation of marketing represents a notable departure from the company’s historical structure, where separate teams often operated independently across business units. By centralizing these functions, executives hope to coordinate branding and promotional efforts more effectively, particularly for online and cross-platform campaigns. Similar integration is underway for streaming operations, as the platform merger seeks to simplify user experiences and lower operational expenses. Such steps align with D’Amaro’s stated emphasis on enabling divisions to work together with greater speed and cohesion, though the full scope of his strategic vision has yet to be publicly detailed.
This development occurs against a backdrop of widespread cost-cutting across the media and entertainment sector. Competitors including Sony Pictures, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery have pursued comparable workforce adjustments in recent years. Observers note that further industry consolidation, such as a potential Paramount acquisition of Warner assets, could accelerate additional reductions elsewhere. For Disney, the current round forms part of a sustained effort to adapt its vast portfolio to contemporary consumption habits without compromising its core creative output or experiential offerings.
The company has not yet publicly commented on the precise number of affected roles or specific timelines beyond indications that notifications could begin soon. As details emerge in the coming weeks, attention will likely focus on how the reductions influence ongoing projects, employee morale, and overall corporate agility. For now, the planned layoffs represent a deliberate step in Disney’s multiyear transformation, seeking to align resources with the realities of modern media consumption while preserving the magic that defines its global appeal.
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