The Walt Disney Company has initiated another round of layoffs, affecting several hundred employees across its entertainment businesses, including Pixar Animation Studios, ESPN, National Geographic and corporate teams.
As per reports, the move is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to streamline operations and reallocate resources as the media and entertainment landscape continues to evolve.
Among Disney’s film businesses, Pixar Animation Studios has been the most significantly impacted, although fewer than 10% of its workforce has been affected. The latest cuts follow Pixar’s 2024 restructuring, when around 175 employees were laid off as the studio shifted its focus back toward theatrical releases.
The restructuring has also affected ESPN, where layoffs are largely tied to the integration of NFL Network, NFL Fantasy and RedZone following Disney’s acquisition of those assets. According to an internal memo from ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, most of the reductions stem from overlapping roles created by the integration, though other areas of the sports network have also been impacted.
Within Disney Entertainment Television, National Geographic is among the divisions most affected by the latest cuts, alongside broader reductions across corporate functions. The layoffs are part of a wider organisational restructuring under Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, who has said the company is working to build a more agile, technology-enabled organisation capable of responding to rapid industry changes.
The latest workforce reduction follows Disney’s earlier restructuring announced in April 2026, when the company said it would eliminate around 1,000 positions across marketing, studios, television, ESPN, technology and corporate functions as part of a broader efficiency drive.
