Disney Layoffs Continue With Nearly 60 More Jobs Cut in Home Entertainment, TV Distribution

Reid Nakamura

Consolidation at Disney is moving forward as the company has handed out pink slips to nearly 60 more employees, TheWrap has learned.

According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, the latest round of layoffs has hit the home entertainment and TV distribution divisions following the company’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets earlier this year. Cuts are said to have affected both Disney and former Fox employees.

Among those exiting the company are 20th Century Fox TV Distribution’s executive vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Drebin, and Jennifer Chai, senior vice president of worldwide marketing and strategy for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Also Read: Fox Executives on How Disney Layoffs Have Shaken the Studio: 'I Have Survivor's Guilt'

While not as significant as the film divisions, TV distribution has been one of the hardest hit segments on the television side of the company as Disney looks to cut costs following the merger. Back in March shortly after the deal closed, Mark Kaner, president of 20th Century Fox TV Distribution since 1994, was one of the executives first laid off by the newly merged company.

Shortly thereafter, a second round of layoffs hit Disney-owned Fox divisions, this time affecting New York-based ad sales employees at the former Fox Networks Group.

National Geographic is also expected to take a hit, with 50-60 additional jobs to be cut from the brand’s publishing, live event and travel operations. Those efforts will instead be folded into existing parts of the company that handle similar business. The National Geographic magazine will remain in operation.

In total, Disney is expected to cut as many as 4,000 jobs, the majority of which have come from the film segments thus far. Company leadership has said it plans to have roughly $2 billion in cost-saving as job cuts continue to eliminate overlapping business functions.

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