Disney TV restructuring targets hundreds of jobs

Investing.com -- Disney is planning a sweeping restructuring of its television business that is expected to produce hundreds of layoffs and consolidate divisions that have operated as separate fiefdoms, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) is trading at $101.72, down $3.18, or 3.03%, in Thursday afternoon trade, according to Investing.com data, with shares touching a session low of $101.39 as the WSJ report circulated. At that level, DIS sits roughly 13% below its 52-week high of $117.09.

The restructuring is being led by Disney Entertainment Television chairman Debra OConnell, who reports to Disney President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden. OConnell oversees ABC Entertainment, 20th Television, Hulu Originals, Disney Kids & Family, National Geographic Content, and Freeform — a portfolio assembled in part through Disney’s 2019 acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets. Each unit currently maintains its own executive layer overseeing programming for Disney+, Hulu, and linear channels, and those leadership positions are expected to be among the roles affected, per the WSJ’s sources.

Speaking at a Bloomberg conference on Thursday, Walden framed the effort in strategic terms. "We will be taking a bunch of divisions that have been run separately and centralizing as a television business, not a bunch of silos," she said, adding that "there is a need to constantly evaluate how you’re structured and how big is the organization." ABC News, which also falls under OConnell’s remit, faces further reductions as well, people close to that business told the WSJ.

Senior executives are still working out the details, and the plan may not be finalized before year-end, the Journal reported. The opt-in window for Disney’s voluntary early-retirement program, launched in August and targeting executives over 50 with at least 10 years of service, closed over the weekend of September 27-28. Disney waited to assess uptake from that program before proceeding with the TV overhaul, people familiar with the matter told the WSJ.

The television restructuring is the latest chapter in a broader cost campaign under CEO Josh D’Amaro, who took over from Bob Iger on March 18, 2026, with a pledge to run "One Disney." On Wednesday, September 30, the company laid off more than 300 employees, primarily in human resources and IT, its third round of cuts this year. Combined with two earlier rounds, reported 2026 reductions have already surpassed 1,500 positions, according to Deadline.

Original Article

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