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Credit: DisneyThe layoffs keep coming from The Walt Disney Company, and this time they affect the wide world of sports.
Back in February, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the company was preparing for the loss of over 7,000 employees across the company. The first round of layoffs took place in March, with over 4,000 positions cut, the second round in April eliminated another massive amount of employees, and the third and supposedly final round of mass layoffs happened back in May.
News of the layoffs also came as the company boasted an increase in profits, with a 35% increase in Park profits alone. Disney+ and Hulu also merged in the middle of this, with layoffs affecting television and international departments. Streaming content was pulled from both platforms, stirring outrage online as fans decried the seemingly-permanent loss of dozens of shows and movies.
However, perhaps the biggest news to come during this shakeup was the complete closing of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel amid rumors that the hotel wasn’t doing well and wasn’t profitable for the company. The Starcruiser has been the subject of several discounts and specials for the last few months in a desperate final bid to try and draw Guests in.
The cancellation of the $1 billion Lake Nona Project, which was expected to relocate thousands of California-based Imagineers to Central Florida was another major shock that came from the company. The Lake Nona Project was shut down amid the ongoing battle between Walt Disney World and Florida Governor turned Presidential Candidate Ron DeSantis. The Governor has been targeting Disney for almost a year now in regard to an anti-LGBTQ+ bill he passed, and the situation has snowballed into a lawsuit between The Walt Disney Company and the Florida Governor.
Now, another round of layoffs has hit Disney on the ESPN side of things, as more than 20 on-air commentators are being let go, including top NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy (who’s been with ESPN for 16 years) and Jalen Rose, another NBA analyst. The network’s NFL coverage is also expected to be hit as NFL analyst Steve Young has been let go along with Suzy Kolber (who has spent 27 years with the network in a variety of positions). The news comes as a complete surprise, considering Iger has previously mentioned that ESPN wouldn’t be affected by the layoffs.
This causes a decrease in sports reporting for the network and NFL coverage is expected to look drastically different next year, according to insiders. It also brings a wave of unease to other Disney employees as it becomes clear that the layoffs aren’t over yet, and no one is truly safe.
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