Next Disney Layoffs Likely To Be In Television
What's unclear is when.
Layoffs have been the order of the day at The Walt Disney Company this year. Just this week, we saw more people at Disney let go, but that layoff is likely to be very small compared to what is reportedly set to happen next.
What's Happening:
- It's been rumored for some time that Disney Television was in line for a significant reorganization under newly appointed Disney Entertainment Television chairman Debra OConnell, who reports to Disney CCO and President Dana Walden.
- The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that the reorganization, once it's done, will result in "hundreds of layoffs."
- The layoffs will likely be the result of divisions within Disney television being consolidated.
- Disney's TV divisions include:
- ABC Entertainment
- 20th Television
- Hulu Originals
- Disney Kids & Family
- National Geographic Content
- Freeform
- ABC News
- Consolidation is always going to result in redundancies, where multiple people are essentially doing the same job. This may be where the majority of the layoffs are expected.
- Each division has its own executives, and while executives are often safe during layoffs, the WSJ suggests that some executives may be part of these layoffs.
- The goal of the layoff is said to be to reorient television around streaming, since the previous structure was built around linear TV, which is no longer the driving force.
- What's most unclear right now is when this reorganization, and its associated layoffs, will happen. They are expected sooner rather than later, but something of this magnitude may take place over a period of months.
Recent Disney Layoff News:
- Back in April, shortly after Josh D'Amaro took over as CEO, layoffs impacting 1,000 cast members, primarily in marketing, were implemented.
- These were followed in July by additional layoffs at Pixar, NatGeo, and ESPN.
- Earlier this week, layoffs hit H.R. and I.T. at Disney. Initial reports said the layoffs hit "a couple hundred" people, but the new WSJ article claims the number was closer to 300.
- Additional layoffs are also anticipated in the Legal & Global Affairs division, following a memo in which VP Horacio Gutierrez indicated as much.