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“Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney,” D’Amaro said in a memo to employees obtained by The Associated Press. “Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs.”
The message reflects a broader corporate strategy centered on agility and modernization, as Disney attempts to reposition itself for long-term competitiveness in a media landscape that continues to change at breakneck speed.
This latest round of layoffs also highlights that cost-cutting at Disney is far from over. The company previously went through a massive restructuring wave in 2022 after Bob Iger returned to leadership, a move that resulted in approximately 8,000 job cuts. As of late 2025, Disney’s global workforce stood at around 230,000 employees, underscoring the sheer scale of its operations even amid ongoing reductions.
D’Amaro, a longtime Disney executive who previously led the company’s highly profitable parks division, has been with the organization since 1998. Now, he is stepping into a top leadership role at a time when the broader entertainment industry is under intense pressure. Traditional Hollywood business models are weakening, streaming services remain expensive to scale, and legacy television continues to lose ground in both viewership and revenue.
Industry-wide, Disney is not alone in making aggressive workforce reductions. A wave of layoffs has swept through major media companies as executives attempt to rein in spending and prepare for slower growth ahead. Paramount Skydance, for example, has already eliminated about 2,000 positions following its acquisition under David Ellison, who has also indicated that additional cuts could be on the horizon if its planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is approved by regulators and shareholders.
Similarly, Sony Pictures Entertainment recently announced plans to eliminate hundreds of jobs as part of its own restructuring efforts, signaling that the contraction is not limited to a single company but rather reflects a broader industry correction.
Taken together, these moves point to a clear trend across Hollywood: the era of unchecked expansion appears to be over, replaced by a sharper focus on efficiency, consolidation, and survival in a rapidly changing digital-first marketplace. For Disney, one of the most recognizable names in global entertainment, the latest layoffs are yet another sign that even industry giants are not immune to the pressures reshaping modern media.
