Latest Disney Layoffs Takeaways
- Disney cut under 2% of its product & tech workforce, balancing roles while still hiring in streaming divisions.
- The media and tech sector has seen layoffs of 63,443 employees across 147 companies in H1 2025, signaling industry‑wide recalibration.
- Recent job cuts at Microsoft, Google, and Bumble show companies are trimming non‑core teams to refocus on high‑impact innovation.
Disney’s latest staff cuts in its product and tech division add to a growing list of layoffs in 2025.
The company reduced less than 2% of the division, citing a need to rebalance its workforce, Business Insider reported.
While modest in size, the move comes amid broader changes across the business as Disney adjusts its investment focus toward streaming platforms and digital monetization.
This follows earlier layoffs in its marketing and publicity teams and a wave of similar actions at other large firms.
Paramount, Microsoft, Google, ZoomInfo, and Bumble have also each trimmed staff in recent months to contain costs and concentrate efforts.
More than 63,400 workers at 147 tech and media companies were let go in the first half of 2025, according to Layoffs.fyi.
At this rate, the year could end with over 126,000 industry layoffs.
Microsoft has already cut around 6,000 roles this year, while Google reduced parts of its TV and hardware units.
ZoomInfo and Bumble have also downsized to focus resources on what they view as essential work.
Even well-capitalized companies are choosing to pause or cancel projects that don’t directly support short-term goals.
Fewer People, Clearer Goals
The companies say these cuts aren’t about stepping away from innovation. Instead, they’re making fewer bets with tighter expectations.
For instance, Disney is still hiring, but only in areas like streaming and direct-to-consumer services.
It's also putting more energy into its upcoming ESPN+ service and digital upgrades to Disney+ and Hulu.
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The same goes for others like Microsoft and ZoomInfo, who say they’re simplifying teams to move faster.
Although it may seem unrelated at first glance, these tech layoffs actually affect agency and consulting partners directly.
Companies want returns sooner because they're under pressure to show what’s working and stop what isn’t.
This changes how work gets done and what they expect from the agencies and partners they keep around.
What clients want now:
- Clearer connections between creative work and business results
- Fewer experiments, more execution
- Teams that understand time and budget limits
Agencies that rely on abstract strategy or brand-building without measurable outcomes may struggle to stay relevant.
A Hiring Freeze Can Still Open New Doors
There’s another side to the story. As major companies shrink internal teams, the demand for outside help often grows.
Agencies that can do more than pitch campaigns. Those who can help deliver product, content, or user experience have more room to step in.
Other changes that create opportunities include:
- Talent availability: Product and engineering leaders from firms like Disney, Google, and ZoomInfo are entering the job market.
- Faster cycles: With smaller internal teams, companies need partners who can move quickly.
- Shifting priorities: Disney, for example, is exploring interactive streaming ads and in-app shopping experiences, which open the door to new formats and partnerships.
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Agencies don’t need to wait for things to “stabilize” before they adjust.
The companies implementing layoffs aren’t freezing; they’re just changing direction.
This feels like the moment to bring stronger ideas forward.
Many clients are cutting projects they can’t support internally, but they still have goals to meet.
They’re not hiring, but they need work done. This is a chance to raise your hand, not pull back.
My advice? Watch where spending is going, build teams and upskill employees so they can respond fast, and stop pitching anything that doesn’t clearly solve a problem.
The clients still investing are the ones worth growing with.
This moment isn’t about waiting for a green light. It’s about showing you're ready before they ask.
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