Walt Disney Co. is preparing for thousands of job reductions as part of a broad cost-control effort in which some managers have been directed to identify ways to achieve 20 percent annual savings. The initiative, still in the planning stages according to people familiar with the internal discussions, would rely on a combination of position eliminations and other operating expense cuts. Certain parts of the company, including theme parks, television networks and the film studio, are expected to absorb a larger share of the reductions than other units according to a report from Bloomberg.
Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro intends to channel a portion of any realized savings back into film and television programming, technology development, theme parks and the cruise ship business. The moves come as Disney has committed to delivering double-digit growth in adjusted earnings per share during the current fiscal year. A company representative declined to comment on the reported plans.
The entertainment company employed roughly 231,000 people worldwide at the close of its most recent fiscal year. In recent years it has already eliminated thousands of positions and trimmed billions of dollars in costs, with earlier rounds touching divisions that include ABC, Pixar, ESPN, the theatrical film studio and the experiences segment that operates parks and resorts. Additional smaller reductions occurred in human resources and technology functions earlier in 2026, and a Wall Street Journal report in early October indicated that Disney was preparing a restructuring of its television operations along with further cuts in its legal and global affairs groups.
The latest cost-saving push arrives against a backdrop of industry-wide pressure. Traditional television advertising and distribution revenue continue to decline, while growth in streaming subscribers has moderated after years of rapid expansion. Other major entertainment companies, including Netflix, Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Paramount and Warner Bros. units under Skydance, have also reduced headcount as they adjust to the same shifts in consumer viewing habits and competition from technology platforms.
Disney faces additional specific headwinds that include the expanding role of artificial intelligence tools in content creation and production, softer box-office results for recent theatrical releases, intensified competition among streaming services and slower growth in international attendance at its theme parks. By targeting sizable annual savings and then selectively reinvesting part of the proceeds, the company aims to protect profitability while continuing to fund areas viewed as longer-term growth drivers. The scale of the potential workforce reductions remains unspecified, and the precise timing and distribution of any cuts across the company’s global operations have not been publicly detailed.
Previous large-scale reductions under prior leadership had sought roughly $5.5 billion in structural cost savings and eliminated about 7,000 roles in 2023, followed by further rounds that removed approximately 1,000 positions in April and several hundred more later in 2025. The current effort under D’Amaro continues that pattern of periodic restructuring as Disney seeks to align its cost base with evolving revenue streams across parks, streaming, linear television and theatrical entertainment. How the 20 percent savings targets will be allocated among specific teams, and how many total positions may ultimately be affected, will become clearer as managers complete their internal reviews and senior leadership finalizes the scope of the program.
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