Disney has eliminated hundreds of jobs in its latest round of layoffs, marking the third time the entertainment giant has cut staff this year, according to a Breitbart report. The cuts hit primarily human resources and information technology departments across corporate operations and various divisions, a source familiar with the matter told Variety, as cited by Breitbart.
This follows a pattern of workforce reductions at the company in 2026. In July, Disney cut hundreds of positions. Earlier, in April, approximately 1,000 jobs were eliminated. Despite the repeated rounds, Disney still employs more than 200,000 people worldwide, leaving room for further reductions if the company continues its current course.
A New CEO and a Push for Cost Savings
The layoffs are the third round under recently appointed CEO Josh D’Amaro, who took the helm earlier this year. In an August 5 letter to shareholders regarding the June 2026 quarter, D’Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston signaled that more job cuts could be on the way.
“We remain highly focused on reducing costs across the enterprise to create incremental capacity to invest for growth and are evaluating a variety of levers, including reductions in labor and SG&A,” the executives wrote, referring to selling, general and administrative expenses. “We are mid-stream in this work and will provide future updates on our progress.”
The company has not publicly detailed how many additional positions might be affected or when further announcements could come.
Streaming Pressures and Shifting Consumer Habits
The cuts come as Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, faces ongoing challenges in a crowded market. Breitbart’s report suggests that Netflix is also struggling, which the outlet argues indicates even tougher conditions for Disney and its subscriber platform. Audiences, the report claims, are migrating toward YouTube, where user-generated content is seen as more appealing and less divisive than traditional Hollywood offerings.
That shift isn’t limited to streaming subscriptions. The report notes that content created by everyday people on platforms like YouTube is already eating into Hollywood’s dominance, and that emerging AI tools could accelerate the trend. According to Breitbart, the director-general of the BBC recently acknowledged receiving a 50-minute episode of Doctor Who created entirely by artificial intelligence, describing it as “pretty good.”
Such developments, the report argues, point to a future where entertainment production becomes more accessible to individuals outside traditional studio systems. The outlet predicts that within five years, the way people consume entertainment will be unrecognizable compared to 2026, with AI playing a central role in democratizing content creation — for better and worse.
Broader Industry Context
The layoffs at Disney are part of a wider trend of cost-cutting across media and entertainment companies as they adjust to changing viewing habits and economic pressures. Disney’s April cuts of around 1,000 jobs were the largest single reduction this year, followed by the July round and now this latest wave.
While the exact number of jobs eliminated in the current round hasn’t been disclosed, the source indicated the cuts are spread across multiple departments, focusing on HR and IT functions. Disney has not issued a public statement detailing the total impact.
As the company continues to evaluate its cost structure, further reductions remain possible under D’Amaro’s leadership. The August shareholder letter made clear that the work is ongoing, leaving employees and investors awaiting the next update.
The entertainment landscape is shifting rapidly, and Disney — like its peers — is working to adapt. How those changes affect the company’s workforce and its creative output in the months ahead remains to be seen.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/09/29/nolte-disney-grooming-syndicate-cuts-hundreds-of-jobs-in-third-layoff-of-the-year/