Disney to lay off thousands of employees, aiming to cut costs by 20 percent
The world's largest media and entertainment empire, The Walt Disney Company, is preparing for another large-scale wave of layoffs in its history under financial pressure. The corporation's management has instructed department heads across various sectors to urgently find ways to cut annual costs by up to 20 percent.
According to reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, the wave of optimization will cover all key areas, ranging from television, film production, theme parks, and cruise fleets to legal, information technology (IT), and human resources departments.
Which departments will be hit by the cuts?
The restructuring process planned by the media giant will simultaneously affect several strategic areas:
Television and streaming revolution: ABC Entertainment, 20th Television, Hulu Originals, and Freeform will be removed from the separate television channel structure and integrated into a single system aimed directly at the streaming audience, which will lead to the loss of hundreds of television jobs;
Film studios and animation: According to Associated Press, film production and Pixar animation studio teams will also be included in the new list of cuts;
Parks and cruise projects: As reported by The Wrap, the most prestigious Walt Disney Imagineering division, responsible for designing attractions and theme parks, as well as the Experiences division, have already begun retiring staff and executives;
Legal and administrative services: Staffing is also being optimized in international relations, legal support, and head office human resources departments.
Why is Disney being forced into mass layoffs?
The Hollywood giant's resort to such drastic measures is explained by several global financial factors:
Collapse of traditional television revenue: The shift of viewers away from cable and broadcast television has sharply reduced advertising income;
Streaming competition and sluggish box office: The struggle with rival platforms and the failure to achieve expected results at global cinema box offices require significant capital;
Decrease in tourist flow to parks: The growth rate of foreign tourists visiting popular Disney theme parks in the US has slowed down.
For reference: 231,000 employees and multi-billion dollar savings
Disney had previously begun a cost-containment program:
Previous wave: In 2023, under the leadership of CEO Bob Iger, approximately 7,000 people were laid off with the goal of saving $5.5 billion;
2025–2026 status: As of the end of the 2025 fiscal year, the corporation has a total of 231,000 employees worldwide.
Reuters clarifies that the total figures are currently in the final planning stage, and the exact scale and dates of the mass layoffs will be announced in the coming days.
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