Overview
- Disney notified affected employees on Tuesday, July 21, that it would eliminate several hundred roles across corporate teams, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television and its studios.
- Pixar absorbed the biggest studio share of the cuts with a WARN filing that plans 108 job eliminations at its Emeryville headquarters and other reports putting losses in the low- to mid‑hundreds; reductions are concentrated in production and operations.
- ESPN’s reductions reflect redundancies from integrating NFL Network assets, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro told staff in a memo, and the network also cut some on‑air talent including Karl Ravech and Ryan Clark.
- Pixar’s WARN notice says most of its cuts will take effect in September with additional reductions scheduled later in the year, and the company said the decision followed a careful evaluation of production needs.
- This is Disney’s third layoff wave in 2026 following January and April actions and signals a broader shift to a leaner workforce and fewer, higher‑profile theatrical projects that could reshape production staffing and roles across the company.