Disney is preparing to lay off thousands of employees as part of a broader effort to cut its annual costs by 20 percent, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg.
The cuts will reportedly hit some of Disney’s operations harder than others, with theme parks, TV channels and the movie studio bearing a disproportionate share of the reductions. Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro intends to funnel some of the savings back into film and TV production, technology, and the company’s theme parks and cruise ship businesses, Bloomberg’s sources said.
Disney has not publicly commented on the report.
Variety reported that the coming layoffs would mark the fourth round of job cuts under D’Amaro in 2026 and would affect more employees than any of the prior rounds this year.
A Year of Repeated Cuts
The pattern of layoffs has been building for months. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Disney has been planning a major overhaul of its TV operations that would eliminate hundreds of jobs and merge divisions together.
In late September, Disney cut a few hundred positions, concentrated in its human resources and IT departments across corporate functions and various business units.
Before that, in July, the company eliminated several hundred jobs spanning corporate functions at Pixar, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television and its studios.
And in April, Disney eliminated roughly 1,000 roles, largely tied to D’Amaro’s creation of a consolidated enterprise marketing division under chief marketing and brand officer Asad Ayaz.
Streaming Prices Also Rising
Alongside the cost-cutting, Disney has also been raising prices for consumers. In September, the company increased subscription costs for Disney+ and Hulu.
According to CBS News, the standalone ad-free plans for both Disney+ and Hulu rose by $2.50, or 13 percent, bringing each to $21.49 a month. The ad-supported plans for both services increased by 50 cents to $12.49 a month, while the ad-free bundle of both services climbed $2 to $21.99.
