Disney Cuts Hundreds of Jobs Amid Intensifying Streaming Wars

Disney has made another round of job cuts, trimming several hundred roles across its entertainment divisions. According to Deadline, the layoffs affected teams in marketing, publicity, casting, and corporate finance. While no departments were completely shut down, the move signals a continued effort to streamline operations.

A Disney spokesperson said the company is aiming to work more efficiently without breaking apart its core teams. The shift reflects a broader cost-cutting strategy led by CEO Bob Iger, who’s been focused on tightening the company’s structure in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape.

Key Executives Affected

Several high-profile executives were also part of the shakeup. Eric Souliere, who served as VP of Casting at 20th Television, is leaving the company. So is Tony Tompson, VP of Content Development for Hulu Originals, who had been with the team for more than six years. While some of these exits were tied to contract completions, they also point to a larger realignment within Disney’s leadership structure.

The entertainment industry as a whole is going through a shift, with studios reallocating resources from traditional TV toward digital platforms like Disney+. As a result, long-standing departments are seeing their budgets shrink, even while streaming content continues to grow.

Instagram | @morningbrew | CEO Bob Iger has driven financial discipline at Disney, reducing staff by 7,000 and cutting billions.

Iger’s Strategic Roadmap

Since returning to the top job in 2022, Bob Iger has been focused on bringing financial discipline back to Disney. Early last year, he laid out a plan to cut 7,000 jobs and slash billions in spending. The latest round of layoffs is part of that broader plan, and follows earlier job cuts at Pixar, National Geographic, Freeform, and ABC News.

In March alone, about 200 employees, nearly 6% of staff in some divisions, were let go from various entertainment and news units.

These decisions aren’t random. They reflect how Disney is responding to major changes in the way audiences consume content. As more people shift to on-demand platforms, the company has poured more money into digital efforts while cutting costs in legacy areas.

Streaming Growth Offers Optimism

Despite the job cuts, there’s reason for optimism on the financial side. In the second quarter of 2025, Disney brought in $23.6 billion in revenue, a 7% increase from the year before. A big part of that growth came from streaming. Disney+ added a staggering 126 million subscribers in just the first quarter of the year.

The numbers show that Disney’s bet on streaming is paying off. More and more people are choosing to watch what they want, when they want, and Disney+ is clearly benefiting from that trend.

A Changing Landscape Across Hollywood

Instagram | themandalorian | Disney+ hits like “The Mandalorian” keep drawing massive viewers.

These layoffs also highlight the tough balancing act facing Hollywood studios today. Traditional channels like network TV and theaters no longer hold the power they once did. Rivals like Netflix and Amazon Prime are constantly raising the bar. In response, Disney is leaning on its global reach and beloved franchises to stay competitive.

Hits like The Mandalorian, Turning Red, and Encanto continue to attract massive viewership through Disney+. That kind of success is helping the company justify its growing focus on original streaming content, even as other parts of the business are scaled back.

What’s Next for Disney?

Looking ahead, Disney seems focused on three major goals:

– Keeping costs under control to stay ahead of competitors

– Building out its streaming library to fuel subscriber growth

– Aligning staffing with its digital-first direction

This doesn’t mean Disney is walking away from the kinds of stories that built its brand. It just means those stories are being delivered in new ways. While the road ahead has its challenges, Disney’s willingness to adapt puts it in a strong position as the industry keeps evolving.