Disney's Maker Studios to Shed 10% of Workforce

What's This?

Maker Studios, which was recently bought by Disney, will cut 10% of its workforce.

Image: Flickr, http://ift.tt/1ootGl0

By Jason Abbruzzese2014-06-02 17:48:27 UTC

Maker Studios will lose about 10% of its workforce to layoffs just months after the company was acquired by Walt Disney Co., according to a report.

Disney bought Maker in late March in a deal that could eventually be worth as much as $950 million. Few details emerged about the job cuts, which could hit as early as this week, according to Variety .

See also: Disney's Doing Great, So Why Buy a Bunch of YouTube Channels?

Maker currently has around 380 employees. It has more than 55,000 channels that log 5.5 billion monthly views.

Layoffs are not uncommon following an acquisition as companies seek to minimize redundant workers. A source familiar with the situation said that any possible reductions are unrelated to the acquisition.

Maker remains under the umbrella of Disney CFO Jay Rasulo, who previously ran the company's theme parks and cruise line.

"Maker’s business is constantly evolving, and we routinely reassess our internal resources and make strategic adjustments, reducing staff in some areas while actively hiring in others," a Maker spokesperson said.

Questions remain over how Maker will be integrated into Disney. Disney's track record of integrating acquired digital companies is not stellar. Disney Interactive, which has been home to acquisitions like Tapulous and Digisynd, laid off 700 employees in March.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Topics: Business, disney, Maker Studios, Media, YouTube