Disney is preparing a major round of layoffs that could affect thousands of employees, according to Bloomberg News. Some managers have reportedly been asked to reduce expenses by 20% on an annualized basis. Disney declined to comment on the report.
If carried out, the cuts would be the fourth round of job reductions at Disney in 2026 under CEO Josh D’Amaro and the largest by number of employees this year. Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources, reported that some parts of the company would be affected more heavily, but did not identify them. The report said D’Amaro intends to reinvest some of the savings in film and television programming, technology, theme parks and cruise ships.
Disney has already made several rounds of cuts this year. In April, it eliminated about 1,000 roles, primarily following the creation of a consolidated enterprise marketing division. In July, several hundred jobs were cut across corporate functions and areas including Pixar, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television and the company’s studios. A few hundred more employees, mainly in human resources and IT, were let go in late September.
The company has also been planning a restructuring of its television operations that could eliminate hundreds of positions and consolidate divisions, the Wall Street Journal reported last month. In August, Disney offered early-retirement buyouts to eligible U.S.-based employees at director level through executive vice president in its Disney Entertainment, ESPN and corporate divisions.
Disney leadership has previously signaled that further reductions were under consideration. In an August 5 letter to shareholders, D’Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston said the company was evaluating ways to reduce labor and selling, general and administrative expenses to free up resources for growth.
Disney is scheduled to report results for the September quarter, the fourth quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, on November 17 before the market opens.
Sources: Variety.