The Walt Disney Company is reducing its workforce by several hundred positions, impacting employees at Pixar Animation Studios and National Geographic, according to a company representative.
Pixar is laying off a small percentage of its workforce – less than 10% – with the majority of cuts happening in production and operations roles, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
The Burbank media and entertainment giant began notifying affected employees Tuesday morning.
The recent layoffs weren’t limited to just creative teams like Pixar and National Geographic. Several roles within Disney’s corporate structure were eliminated, and ESPN also reduced its staff, including some popular commentators and journalists.
According to ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, the recent job cuts at ESPN were largely due to the company’s purchase of the NFL Network, as he explained in a message to employees.
These layoffs are the third round Disney has announced as part of a larger company overhaul. CEO Josh D’Amaro previously explained that these changes are necessary to help Disney move faster and adapt to new technologies in the rapidly evolving entertainment industry.
As a big Disney fan, I was pretty surprised to hear about all the changes happening over there this year. First, they combined their marketing teams back in January, and then, just a few months later, they started making cuts in a lot of different areas – including the TV and movie studios, ESPN, and even the teams working on their products and technology. It’s definitely a big shift for the company!
Pixar wasn’t affected by the recent layoffs. The animation studio last reduced its workforce in 2024, eliminating around 175 positions, which represented 14% of its employees.
Pixar is having a great year. Their original film, “Hoppers,” released in March, received positive reviews and performed well in theaters. Plus, “Toy Story 5,” which came out last month, has already grossed over $957 million worldwide.
Over the past three years, Disney’s studios – like Pixar – have shifted their approach to making movies. They’re now focusing on creating fewer films but with higher quality, and they prioritize releasing those films in theaters. Disney believes that strong theatrical releases are key to the success of all its businesses, including its streaming service.
2026-07-21 21:31