Disney has cut several hundred jobs across its studios, television and sports divisions, with Pixar taking the largest share on the film side.
The Walt Disney Company cut several hundred jobs on Tuesday across corporate functions, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television and its film studios.
A Disney spokesperson confirmed the reductions to Variety, saying the changes form part of the company’s ongoing assessment of how it manages resources and reinvests across the business as the industry evolves.
Affected employees were notified on Tuesday morning.
The majority of cuts on the studios side fell within Pixar Animation Studios. Within the television group, National Geographic absorbed the largest share.
This is Disney’s third major round of layoffs in 2026. A consolidation of the company’s marketing teams took place in January, followed by a reduction of roughly 1,000 employees in April across marketing, studios, television networks, ESPN, product and technology, and corporate groups.
Pixar Layoffs Concentrated in Production and Operations
TheWrap reported that 116 positions were eliminated at Pixar’s Emeryville, California studio, citing an individual with knowledge of the situation. The cuts are concentrated in production and operations roles.
A source familiar with the studio told Variety that the changes reflect Pixar’s evolving needs around production volume and the projects currently in progress, rather than a response to performance.
Walt Disney Studios has adjusted its production strategy over the past three years, reducing overall volume and prioritizing theatrical releases that feed into the wider entertainment ecosystem, with less material produced directly for streaming.
The reduction is expected to be Pixar’s largest since the summer of 2024, when cuts followed the release of Inside Out 2.
Pixar has released two films in 2026. Hoppers, an original feature directed by Daniel Chong, opened in spring and earned $389.5 million worldwide against a reported $150 million budget, according to TheWrap. Toy Story 5 followed in summer and is approaching the billion-dollar mark, set to become the highest-grossing entry in the franchise.
Deadline reported that the two films together have grossed close to $1.4 billion worldwide. The 2024 round of Pixar layoffs was attributed at the time to a contraction in streaming demand, as Disney+ reduced its requirement for new animated content from the studio.
National Geographic and ESPN Job Cuts
Across Disney Entertainment Television, the number of positions eliminated came in just under 100, according to Deadline.
Most of those affected worked at National Geographic, spanning the cable network as well as editorial and operations teams. Roughly a dozen employees at ABC News were also notified.
At ESPN, the reductions are tied to the network’s integration of NFL Network assets acquired earlier this year.
Several on-air names were among those affected, including former NFL Most Valuable Player Cam Newton and analyst Ryan Clark, a former co-host on the network’s morning and debate programming. Josh D’Amaro became chief executive of Disney earlier this year, succeeding Bob Iger.
In a memo to staff accompanying the April reductions, D’Amaro said the company had spent several months examining ways to streamline operations in order to continue delivering the creativity and innovation audiences expect. He added that the pace of the industry required constant assessment of how to build a more agile and technologically enabled workforce.
Deadline reported that D’Amaro was not expected to issue a further communication to staff regarding Tuesday’s cuts.
Disney employs a larger workforce than many of its media competitors, largely because of its theme park and experiences operations, which depend on seasonal and hourly staffing at scale.
Production volume across Disney’s film studios increased significantly following the launch of Disney+. That volume has steadily declined since Iger’s second term as chief executive, with the company moving toward fewer releases at higher budgets.
The company has not published a total figure for the number of roles eliminated on Tuesday, and did not issue a public statement beyond the comment provided to trade outlets.
