Disney Begins Layoffs Impacting 1,000 Employees

Job cuts span the company's TV, film, and corporate divisions.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 8:23pm

A minimalist studio still life photograph featuring a stack of pink office folders, a silver pen, and a small potted plant arranged elegantly on a clean white background, symbolizing the corporate restructuring and layoffs at The Walt Disney Company.Disney's corporate restructuring leads to significant job losses across the media giant's divisions.Burbank Today

The Walt Disney Company has initiated layoffs that are expected to result in around 1,000 job losses across the company. Josh D'Amaro, who became CEO in February, announced the broader layoffs following a move in January to consolidate Disney's marketing division. The cuts will impact the company's traditional television businesses, including ESPN, as well as the movie studio and certain product, technology, and corporate functions.

Why it matters

Disney is one of the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerates, so significant layoffs at the company are a major economic indicator. The job cuts reflect broader challenges facing the traditional media industry as it navigates shifting consumer habits and the rise of streaming.

The details

The layoffs are part of an ongoing restructuring effort at Disney as the company adapts to industry changes. The job losses will span various divisions, including television networks, the movie studio, and corporate functions like product and technology. Disney has not provided specifics on which particular teams or business units will be most impacted.

  • Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro announced the layoffs on April 14, 2026.
  • The job cuts are expected to be completed in the coming months.

The players

The Walt Disney Company

A major global media and entertainment conglomerate that owns brands like Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and ESPN.

Josh D'Amaro

The current CEO of The Walt Disney Company, having succeeded Bob Iger in February 2026.

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What they’re saying

“The Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday began layoffs expected to lead to 1,000 job cuts across the company.”

— AP News

What’s next

Disney has not provided a specific timeline for when the layoffs will be completed, but they are expected to happen over the coming months as part of the company's ongoing restructuring efforts.

The takeaway

Disney's layoffs reflect the broader challenges facing traditional media companies as they adapt to changing consumer behaviors and the rise of streaming. The job cuts span multiple divisions, underscoring the scale of the transformation Disney is undertaking to position itself for the future.