Disney cuts hundreds of jobs with Nat Geo and Pixar hit

Disney has cut several hundred staff across animation studio Pixar, ESPN and its TV production unit, with brands including Nat Geo among those affected.

Around 100 staff have been let go from Disney Entertainment Television, which houses production units and networks including ABC, FX and Nat Geo.

Notable exits among the latter include Charlie Parsons, senior vice president of development, who had been with the company for 15 years.

His recent credits include the upcoming Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddlestone, Top Guns: The Next Generation and Hostile Planet.

Nat Geo is among the hardest hit divisions, while cuts have also affected ABC News where around a dozen staff are to depart.

Toy Story 5 and Hoppers production unit Pixar Animation Studios has also been impacted on the studio side, but specific numbers are yet to emerge.

Production and operations are among divisions hit, with reports suggesting the layoffs come amid a reduction in volume of shows being produced.

Sports unit ESPN has also been impacted, with unspecified cuts coming as a result of its deal to take over the NFL Network. In return, NFL now holds a 10% stake in ESPN.

Disney chief exec Josh D’Amaro had pointed to cuts in April, but did not comment on the latest round of layoffs.

His memo to staff in April noted: “Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney.

“Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs.”