Disney To Lay Off Staff Ahead Of Disney+ & Hulu Merger

Later this year, Disney will be merging Hulu into Disney+ in the United States, bringing it into line with how it works internationally, as a hub within the streaming service.

Unfortunately, the merging of these two streaming services is going to result in the loss of some jobs, as one of the many benefits for Disney in bringing together its platforms, is that it won’t require as many people to operate both Disney+ and Hulu at the same time.

According to the Wall Street Journal, about 1000 staff members at Disney are set to be let go in the next few months, it will be across multiple divisions, including the streaming division.

These staff cuts have been planned for some time, prior to Josh D’Amaro becoming the new CEO, as back in January, it was revealed when Asad Ayaz was upped to be Disney’s Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, that they were planning on consolidating marketing at the film, TV and streaming operations and eliminating duplication.   So many of the 1000 people being laid off are due to that as well. 

We’ve seen Disney cutting thousands of jobs in the past couple of years, as it looks to reduce costs and return the company to profitability. 

Roger’s Take: Without doubt, any layoffs aren’t great, especially for those families impacted, but it was expected.  One of the biggest problems for Disney is how many divisions they have, many of which do similar jobs.  With the Hulu app eventually closing down, they won’t need as many staff to operate the streaming service, nor will they need as many people on the marketing team.  

What do you think of Disney cutting these staff?  Let me know on social media!