Disney closes digital shortform unit
April 27, 2023
The Walt Disney Company is closing 20th Digital Studio, the latest casualty in the most recent round of layoffs.
The unit launched in 2008 as Fox Digital Studio to make shortform genre content. It also develops select shorts into longer form content and partners emerging talent with established producers. Several 20th Digital Studio projects streamed on Hulu.
Additionally D23, the official fan club for Disney, has been hit by layoffs, with around a quarter of its staff having reportedly been axed. The division known for its biennial D23 Expo with the next one planned for September in Florida.
Many other executive cuts have been announced across content divisions as returnee CEO Bob Iger aimin s to cut $5.5 billion across the business, including $3 billion from content spend, and reduce staff levels by 7,000. So far around 4,000 posts have been cut.