The Walt Disney Company is planning to cut as many as 1,000 positions in the coming weeks, a move that marks the first significant workforce reduction under new CEO Josh D’Amaro and signals a continued strategic shift toward operational efficiency for the entertainment conglomerate.

Disney plans to cut 1,000 jobs, first reported by The Wall Street Journal. These cuts, modest compared to previous rounds, primarily target marketing divisions to streamline messaging and eliminate redundancies. The move continues former CEO Bob Iger’s mandate of fiscal prudence, addressing persistent economic pressures facing the media giant, from evolving streaming economics to a challenged theatrical market. This consolidation marks a significant moment for D’Amaro’s leadership.

What We Know So Far

  • Walt Disney is planning to lay off as many as 1,000 employees over the next few months, according to multiple reports.
  • The job cuts are expected to heavily impact the company's marketing department, which was recently consolidated to unify operations across film, television, and streaming.
  • The initiative is reportedly part of a broader cost-reduction strategy, code-named Project Imagine, led by Chief Marketing Officer Asad Ayaz to centralize the marketing group and reduce expenses.
  • These are the first layoffs announced since Josh D’Amaro became CEO in March, though sources indicate the plans were initiated before his tenure began.
  • The planned cuts represent less than 1 percent of Disney's global workforce, which stood at approximately 231,000 employees at the end of the last fiscal year.
  • Disney has declined to comment on the reports, according to Deadline.

Why is Disney Laying Off Employees?

The impending layoffs at Disney appear to be a direct consequence of a strategic imperative to centralize and streamline its vast marketing apparatus. The company is actively working to dismantle the siloed structures that have historically defined its separate divisions, such as film, television, and streaming. This effort, internally dubbed "Project Imagine," is spearheaded by Chief Marketing Officer Asad Ayaz. Its primary objective is to create a single, cohesive marketing organization, thereby eliminating operational redundancies and reducing overhead.