Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro Slashes Up to 1,000 Jobs as Company Reckons With Years of Costly Missteps

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Disney plans to cut around 1,000 jobs in the next few weeks, especially within its marketing teams. This is one of the first big changes being made under the leadership of new CEO Josh D’Amaro, who took the role in March 2026 after Bob Iger stepped down.

This decision follows recent layoffs at ESPN, and its timing is curiously close to a Department of Justice investigation into NFL media agreements – though officials say the two aren’t connected. However, a concerning trend appears to be developing at Disney.

When Reimagining Backfires

After Bob Iger returned to Disney in 2022, the company cut over 8,000 positions. Now, the new CEO, Josh D’Amaro, is focusing on making Disney more efficient. One key part of this plan is combining Disney+ and Hulu, which will be completed by 2026, as reported by WDW Pro. Currently, Disney offers discounted bundles that include Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus at various prices.

As a movie critic, I’ve been watching a worrying trend lately. Disney’s been heavily focused on remakes and ticking diversity boxes, but honestly, it hasn’t paid off. We’ve seen lukewarm reactions at the box office and a lot of streaming projects that just didn’t connect with viewers. It’s even started to hurt the reputation of franchises like Marvel and Star Wars. And it’s not just underperforming sequels – even a seemingly safe bet like the live-action Snow White completely flopped, losing Disney a huge amount of money. It’s a real wake-up call that creatively driven storytelling needs to take priority.

The Cost of Chasing the Wrong Metrics

The rapid growth of streaming services led to unnecessary spending and an excess of content. While marketing departments expanded previously, they are now being scaled back. With increased pressure from investors, new management is finally making tough decisions to cut costs, including laying off employees. This is just one step towards fixing the issues that have built up.

Look, this new direction Disney is taking? It’s going to be pricey, and frankly, they’ve got a lot on their plate already when it comes to rebuilding and innovating. That means money is tighter than ever, and every project is going to be fighting for a piece of the pie. Honestly, over the last ten years, Disney hasn’t exactly proven they’re great at figuring out where that money should go. They need to be smarter about their investments, and quickly.

What the Cultural Rot Leaves Behind

I’ve been writing a lot lately about how changes over the past few years have really hurt Disney’s once-successful business strategy – what they used to call their ‘Fly-Wheel.’ It feels like they moved away from appealing to families, and now they need to make a clear, strong effort to win those audiences back. We’re already seeing steps in the right direction, like a return to more traditional language in the parks, which is a good start.

This can’t be a quick fix. It needs to be a sustained effort to rebuild trust and remind people that The Walt Disney Company is still committed to the original ideals of its founder, Walt Disney.

Beyond those specific conflicts, the media landscape faces ongoing challenges. Issues like California’s high operating costs, competition from around the world, and the impact of large tech companies on traditional income, aren’t likely to resolve themselves. The trend towards media companies merging will also continue to put pressure on the industry.

Those who focused more on making political statements than on creating good stories are now seeing the results of that decision. They need to realize their time is limited. This leads analysts, like me, to wonder: Is Josh the right leader to rebuild this into a cohesive and recognizable brand?

Everything Ahead Could Be Easy

Consolidating operations will likely result in job losses and a greater reliance on contract workers or smaller, more efficient teams. Many companies, including Paramount Skydance, are making this change. Revamping core business strategies and strengthening the company’s overall brand are also crucial priorities.

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2026-04-10 23:58