With the second round of promised position reductions and layoffs underway at the Walt Disney Company, it seems that D23: The Official Disney Fan club was also affected, according to Deadline.
What’s Happening:
- Today is currently the third day in the Walt Disney Company’s second round of layoffs, as announced recently by CEO Bob Iger.
- As part of this wave of layoffs, which have been primarily focused on entertainment divisions, including job reductions at Disney Branded Television, Marvel, ABC, FX, and more, D23 has fallen into the sightline of the cuts.
- D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, originally founded in 2009 and known for its massive D23 Expo held every two years in Anaheim, was also hit by the layoffs.
- Reportedly, the size of the cuts is in the double-digits, with indications saying that as much as a quarter of the staff of the division or more was affected. There is also speculation that the D23 Division may be restructured.
- This is a decision that will mostly affect behind the scenes operations of the fan club, and at this time there appears to be no direct effect on upcoming D23 events, namely the Destination D23 event coming to Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World later this fall.
- Aside from D23, the second round of layoffs at the Walt DIsney Company has impacted ABC, Freeform, ABC Signature, 20th Television, Disney+, Disney Branded Entertainment, Hulu, Disney TV Animation, Walt Disney Television Alternative, Searchlight, and marketing and syndications departments at Disney Television Studios. Each of these divisions are reportedly being impacted with some units at these divisions being consolidated or dissolved entirely.