The Walt Disney Company is preparing to layoff hundreds of employees in the TV and film entertainment divisions. The move will have a global impact on the company.
Videos by Suggest
According to Deadline, the Walt Disney Company will layoff a large number of employees across divisions of Disney Entertainment, including marketing for both TV and film. TV publicity, casting, and development will also be impacted.
However, it was reported that none of the Disney Entertainment TV and film teams will be eliminated during the layoff process. The majority of Disney Entertainment Television employees are reportedly based in Los Angeles. The company’s corporate finance division is notably part of the layoff.
This is considered the fourth and largest round of layoffs to have affected various Walt Disney Company television operations in less than a year.
In July 2024, the Walt Disney Company conducted a round of layoffs, resulting in the dismissal of 140 employees. Those who were let go represented 2% of the total workforce, with 60 of them from National Geographic.
The Walt Disney Company went on to restructure a few months later. Last fall, it shut down ABC Signature, with its operations folding into 20th Television. There was also a consolidation of ABC and Hulu Originals’ scripted drama and comedy teams. Approximately 30 employees from Disney Entertainment Television were let go.
Additionally, last fall, the company laid off 300 employees across its U.S. HR, legal, and finance departments.
Earlier this year, the Walt Disney Company laid off around 200 employees, representing 6% of the workforce at ABC News Group and other Disney entertainment groups, including FreeForm and FX.
The Walt Disney Company Reveals the Names of the TV Executives Impacted By the Recent Layoff
Deadline also reported that several TV executives will be part of the latest layoff process at the Walt Disney Company.
Among the executives are Eric Souliere, VP of casting for 20th Television. He has worked on Ryan Murphy’s hit TV shows, American Horror Story and 9-1-1. However, instead of being completely let go, Souliere will allegedly be transitioning to cast the upcoming 9-1-1 spinoff, 9-1-1: Nashville.
Tony Tompson, the VP of content development at Hulu Originals, is also on the list. He has been with the streaming service for more than six years. He is currently seeking employment elsewhere.
Deadline further reported that the latest layoff round also impacts lower-level development executives. Among those is a manager of drama programming at ABC Hulu.