Disney layoffs will begin next week, most severely impacting the marketing, awards and publicity departments of film, streaming, television and cable as the company looks to cut costs in reduction of 1,000 staffers, TheWrap has learned.
The entertainment conglomerate moved to consolidate all its marketing departments in January as a cost-saving measure. Marketing is now led by Asad Ayaz in a new position of chief marketing and brand officer.
All the Disney brands are expected to be affected, a knowledgeable person said, with layoffs stretching across film, television and streaming and including brands like Hulu, FX, ESPN, ABC News and Marvel, according to a knowledgeable individual.
Another knowledgeable person characterized the cuts as a move toward greater efficiency rather than merely cutting costs.
Disney did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
This marks the first layoffs under new CEO Josh D’Amaro’s watch, who took over from Bob Iger in March. Iger himself oversaw over 8,000 layoffs after he returned as CEO in 2022.
In January, Ayaz — who was named Disney’s first-ever Chief Brand Officer in 2023 — restructured the company’s marketing under five executives as division heads across consumer products, experiences and entertainment, all of whom report to him.
Those executives include Ron Faris for Disney Consumer Products, Scott Hudgins for Disney Experiences, Martha Morrison for Disney Entertainment Studios, Shannon Ryan for Disney Entertainment Television, Disney+ and Hulu and Tina Thornton for ESPN.
“We will show up as one unified storytelling brand across our flywheel — film, television, streaming, parks, experiences, and sports — aligned to how consumers experience the company today,” Ayaz said at the time.
In a March memo to staff, D’Amaro said the company would operate as “One Disney,” stressing close collaboration across teams.
He also noted that Disney looked to embrace technology to unlock new possibilities, stating, “Innovation has always been part of Disney’s DNA. Used thoughtfully, it can empower our storytellers, strengthen our capabilities, and help us create more immersive, interactive, and personal ways for people to experience Disney.”
D’Amaro takes over the company as consolidation and the decline of linear impact the entire entertainment industry, and while Disney’s recent earnings have shown strong numbers from the Parks division, Marvel and Pixar suffered a tough 2025 at the box office.
Looking ahead, Disney hopes to have a banner 2026 with the launch of films “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “The Mandalorian and Grogu” in May, “Toy Story 5” this summer and “Avengers: Doomsday” just in time for Christmas.
Searchlight Pictures aims to be in the awards race with Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine” and Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!” later this year as well.
All of those films will, of course, need robust marketing campaigns.
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