About 
Check out the official trailer for Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw's Adults Season 2, with secret friend groups, worst accents, and more!
Posted in: Movies, National Geographic, Sports, TV | Tagged: disney, espn, Nat Geo, pixar
Pixar, ESPN, Nat Geo & More Hit by Latest Round of Disney Layoffs
Disney's latest round of layoffs is expected to impact several hundred employees, with Nat Geo, Pixar, and ESPN being hit especially hard.
Article Summary
- Disney layoffs hit several hundred employees across corporate, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television, and Disney Studios.
- Nat Geo, Pixar, and ESPN were among the hardest-hit Disney divisions in the latest push for company efficiency.
- ESPN layoffs included notable on-air and behind-the-scenes names as Disney reshapes teams after the NFL media deal.
- Pixar cuts come amid scrutiny over Hoppers box office results and Disney’s wider cost-cutting strategy across studios.
A month after word came down that The Walt Disney Company would be laying off approximately 1,000 employees – with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment being hit particularly hard – CEO Josh D'Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston noted that as the company moved towards "a culture of efficiency," more layoffs could be on the way. Today would be that day, with several hundred employees across corporate, as well as ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television, and Disney Studios, being delivered the bad news. "These changes are part of our continual evaluation of how we manage resources and reinvest across the company as our industry continues to evolve," a Disney spokesperson shared in a statement. Among the key areas targeted are Nat Geo, Pixar, and ESPN. At the time of this writing, the layoffs have impacted ESPN's Karl Ravech, Tom Pelissero, Ryan Clark, David Lloyd, Stephania Bell, and Charles Davis. On the Pixar side, legendary industry veteran Rej Bourdages (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?), who previously worked at DreamWorks, Aardman, and Walt Disney Animation Studios, was among those let go.
While many point to Disney's across-the-board cuts and cost-saving moves as the primary reason for the layoffs, others also note the disappointing box-office results for Pixar's Hoppers and the studio's less-than-stellar venture into animated series as issues. On the ESPN side, some see the layoffs as a result of the recent $3 billion ESPN/NFL deal, which has ESPN taking over the NFL's media assets (including the NFL Network, NFL RedZone linear rights, and more), and the NFL receiving a 10% stake in ESPN.
"Team: Over the past several months, we've made significant progress integrating the NFL assets that we acquired into ESPN. Throughout this process, we have taken the time to carefully evaluate our collective teams, resources and organizational structure to best position us for the future. As a result, we had to make some difficult decisions about job impacts that we will be communicating today," ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro shared in a memo to the staff. "While most of the job impacts are tied to the acquisition, we will also notify colleagues in other parts of the company today that their positions have been impacted. We are committed to treating employees with compassion and respect and to providing support as they navigate this transition. Even in moments like these, the strength of ESPN comes from our people, our teamwork and our shared mission to serve sports fans."
Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!
Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!
