Posted in: Disney+, Freeform, National Geographic, TV | Tagged: ABC, disney, freeform, National Geographic

Disney Entertainment Television Layoffs Hit Nat Geo, Freeform & More

Disney Entertainment Television (DET) is being hit with layoffs that will impact approximately 140 people (about 2% of the total workforce).

With The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger and his crew readying to roll out its fiscal third-quarter results to Wall Street, one major move is now confirmed to be underway – with Disney Entertainment Television (DET) being hit with layoffs – impacting approximately 140 people (or about 2% of the DET's total workforce). Though no teams have been eliminated, the areas that are suffering an impact are National Geographic, Freeform, ABC Owned Television Stations, Disney linear entertainment networks' operational side, Unscripted, Marketing, and Publicity. The move comes as Disney and other media companies look to financially course-correct some questionable decision-making streaming-wise in their efforts to be the next Netflix, with their efforts being further complicated by an across-the-board hit in terms of ad revenue. Today's layoffs are yet another headline in the company's continued efforts to reduce costs – efforts which began in earnest at the beginning of 2023, with the goal being a minimum of $7.5 billion in cost reductions.

Speaking with Deadline Hollywood earlier this month, Dana Walden, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment (overseeing FX, Hulu, and ABC), sang the praises of ABC's The Rookie, noting how the long-running series is a perfect example of a show that succeeds and continues to grow based on ABC and Hulu's release strategy of airing it on linear and then quickly making it available on streaming and making the previous season readily available. In terms of how Disney is viewing linear moving forward, Walden's comments offered a clearer picture. "You look at the growth of 'The Rookie' over the past several years where the ability to watch past seasons on Hulu has done nothing but boost our linear ratings on that show and create an ecosystem of viewership where viewers on the broadcast network are getting a first look," Walden explained. "And then our subscribers are getting the flexibility of watching it on a streaming platform and all of the benefits that that entails."

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